


Had to Be You

by End_Transmission



Series: Red Light Cyan Light [1]
Category: Among Us (Video Game)
Genre: Alien Sex, Angry Sex, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Biting, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Brief Mildly Dubious Consent, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Lovers, Idiots in Love, M/M, Plot first, Slow Burn, Tentacle Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:33:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 31,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27385750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/End_Transmission/pseuds/End_Transmission
Summary: As if they are a pair of intersecting lines, they keep meeting. Somehow, Red's survival continues to be the most convenient option. Cyan supposes it shouldn't be that much of a surprise when the human becomes suspicious of him.If only he could make himself do something about that.
Relationships: Cyan/Red (Among Us)
Series: Red Light Cyan Light [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2035972
Comments: 268
Kudos: 376





	1. Lifeline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mind the rating! Mind the tags! Have you read them? Good. 
> 
> A note specifically regarding the mildly dubious consent tag -
> 
> As the author and thus the one in the heads of the characters, I assure you at no point does Character B /not consent/. He's hot for it. However, the actual language of that scene may not make that entirely clear and so, I am adding this tag because the last thing I want to do is unexpectedly trigger someone. If dubious consent is a trigger or ick for you, rest assured I will make the content easy to bypass. We have a couple of chapters before we get to that point. 
> 
> Another note of importance - this piece uses characters from my other Among Us works, but the timeline is entirely its own and has no effect on the timelines of any other pieces.

The Impostor laid his glove against the glass window of Navigations and watched as Green's body floated deeper into space. The human writhed in agony for only a few seconds before going still - whether he were dead or frozen, the Impostor couldn't say. Undoubtedly both had occurred in some fashion - the Impostor considered whether suffocation or freezing would be the more painful death of the two. 

"Cyan." Trep - an Impostor known as Cyan to the humans - turned in place to face the last living human crewmate aboard Skeld #1145. Captain Red walked up until he was standing at Trep's side, his own eyes fixed on the window, then laid a hand on the Impostor's shoulder.

At the start of their current venture, Red had picked Trep - out of all the other crewmates - as his own 'buddy.' The buddy system was an overall ineffective way for the humans to try and more quickly detect Impostors - but any Impostor worth their salt could bypass the suspicion that came with your buddy ending up dead. Why the _captain_ had decided Trep was worth his trust, the Impostor couldn't say. For his part, Trep had immediately started planning for an easy kill - but when the human had vouched for Trep, he'd ensured his survival as a useful tool. Now, it was just the two of them, locked together on a ship who's path had already been set back to home. 

It'd be easy to kill Red then and there. A lesser Impostor may have even done so. Trep, however, intended to let the human live. Not, of course, for Red's sake. Trep simply had a reputation - he was a top recruit among his own people, and a respected, seasoned survivor among the humans. With Black and Green's names officially listed as the Impostors on board, it would look suspicious if Red failed to survive _now_. Leaving him alive ensured that Trep would be welcomed back among the humans as a hero. 

Which, in turn, ensured that he'd be sent on still other missions, where he could continue to gnaw at the human threat one ship at a time. The Impostors had long since moved on from the need to destroy every ship they came in contact with. Now it was a matter of maintenance - keeping the humans on their toes and their ships from getting too close to the Impostors' home. The humans were aware of them, now, and their fight had become a violent game of tug of war. The Impostors hoped the humans would give up if they killed enough of them - the humans hoped desperately to find the Impostors' home and destroy it. 

Keeping their best agents alive was what had gotten the Impostors this far. Trep - who had once been one half of the first Impostor duo to ever infiltrate a human ship - was the best they had. He would, of course, sacrifice himself if ever it became necessary. So far, however, he'd managed to succeed without it. 

He couldn't say the same for most of his partners. 

"Are you doing alright?" Red continued, and Trep refocused his attention on the human. He nodded his answer with a smile the human couldn't see through their visors. 

"Will be, now," Trep answered, "I only wish we'd found the second Impostor before losing so many."

"Agreed." Red looked back towards the window, and Trep bit back the laughter that wanted badly to escape him. "The ship is on track for home," Red continued, "I think I'll try and sleep the rest of the journey. You'll know where to find me if there are any issues."

"Of course, Captain. Rest well."

"Make sure to get some rest, yourself," was Red's answer before he turned and walked away. Trep watched him go, then turned back for the glass. He'd been annoyed at the human's attention in the beginning, but there were worse humans to leave alive. There was no doubt Red was clever and intelligent - his continuing allyship would only help Trep's cause. Humming softly to himself, Trep watched as the stars moved past and thought about the future. 

* * *

"Come now, Captain," Trep said, keeping his voice smooth and calm as he spoke. His words caught Red's attention, and the man's gaze slipped from Yellow to Trep. It was another mission come to its end - the second mission in a row wherein, by some strange coincidence, Trep and Captain Red had both been assigned. 

Red had seemed relieved, at first, to have Trep at his side - no doubt soothed by a familiar face among a crew of unknowns. In the beginning, the human had been as attentive as before - Red was hardly a chatterbox, but he did have the habit of drawing Trep into random discussions as they worked. As the first crewmates had started to fall, though, Trep had watched a change come over the Captain. 

It'd been…fascinating.

Red pulled away from the crew and spent more time in Navigations or his own quarters. Conversations with him were fewer in between and, when another crewmate's body had been found after ejecting the - correctly suspected - Impostor Purple, Red had even pulled away from Trep. He hadn't pushed the Impostor away entirely, but had been…flighty. Less inclined to speak. All side eye and short words and _suspicion._ Trep had considered, once more, killing Red - but the opportunity had never been right. Too risky - too obvious. 

Picking off the crew was always more difficult when so few of them remained and there was no other Impostor to blame. Still, Trep had managed - he'd snapped Brown's neck, and had slipped away before Yellow had noticed. It'd been clean - it should have been easy to plant the blame firmly on Yellow. 

Yet, Red was hesitating. 

There were only the three of them left. They sat around the cafeteria table, sans helmets so they could look each other in the eyes. Trep and Yellow had already pointed their fingers at each other. Trep hadn't wanted to turn Red on him by accusing the man, and Yellow seemed loathe to believe the captain could be responsible. So, as the final crewmate and captain besides, it became Red's job to cast the final judgement. 

The look Red was giving Trep was not especially inspiring. 

"Captain," Trep repeated, " _Red._ You and I have traveled together before. We have been the sole survivors, together - you can't really think _I'm_ the Impostor here? If for no other reason, consider - why would I have left you alive on our previous mission? You can trust me, Red."

"Can I?" The human's response was almost violent, and it genuinely took Trep by surprise. Letting the emotion guide him, Trep let his hands curl tightly on the tabletop, and let himself go still as he stared back at Red. 

"Of course you can. If not me, then who?" 

Red didn't immediately respond. Instead, he stiffened, and his eyes pressed tightly shut. Trep watched him, waiting - it'd be a bit of a shame to kill Red as well as Yellow, but it would be the only choice if Red decided Trep was not to be trusted. Trep began to rehearse in his head - he needed a story to tell, when the ship arrived back to Earth. Or perhaps he would simply reroute it and return to his own planet. He could lie low, take a breather, and return to Earth with a new face. 

"Hell take me if I'm wrong, Yellow." Red finally spoke, getting to his feet. He looked at Trep, and despite his words there was still something bitingly cold in his stare. Distrustful. "Cyan. Help me with him."

Trep nodded, trying to keep his movement solemn as he stood. Yellow, predictably, begged and pleaded with the two - promised repeatedly that he wasn't an Impostor. Red was determined, though - he lugged Yellow forward with Trep's help and, if he reacted to Yellow at all, he didn't show it. 

After they shoved Yellow from the airlock, Red watched the stars for a long, long time. Far beyond the moment that Yellow's body disappeared. Trep stood quietly nearby, watching the human in turn. It was difficult to know what Red was thinking - Trep didn't appreciate the uncertainty. That had been closer than it should have been, yet he couldn't pinpoint where he'd managed to lose the human's trust. He couldn't figure it out - all said and done, it seemed the human should trust Trep _more,_ given what they'd been through together. 

It had to be paranoia. Trauma. Some mix of the two - not, Trep supposed, all that unexpected given the two disastrous missions in a row. 

"Come near me for the rest of the trip, and I'll kill you myself," Red said suddenly. Startled despite himself, Trep quickly opened his mouth - but before he could get a retort out, Red had turned and was walking away. Trep watched him go, sharp words dying on his tongue. It didn't matter - Red had no concrete proof to pass on to MIRA; he had nothing at all but his own strangely-accurate instinct. No matter the paranoia that had wiggled beneath the man's skin, he wouldn't accuse Trep on flimsy instinct. 

It was unlikely that they'd be paired for a third time. Most crews were a matter of chance and, Trep suspected, names pulled from hats. Once they landed, Trep could be free of Red and his suspicion. If he were lucky, he'd never see the man again. 

* * *

Trep _was_ lucky. At first. 

Two missions passed by blessedly Red free and, over all, rather simple. Trep himself had been designated captain of the second, given the rest of the crew was a group of fresh-faced, young recruits. They'd been wholly unprepared for an Impostor challenge and Trep had hardly needed to lift a finger. His partner had killed most of the humans, had eventually been caught, and Trep had returned with two surviving and entirely traumatized humans under his wing. Two was more than he necessarily wanted to survive, but it'd been a fair trade off - there was no way they'd stay in their careers, now. 

Their babbling about Trep's care of them had only further enamored him to the humans at MIRA. Easy. 

Inspired, he'd accepted a quick turn-around after that - hopeful for another fresh team, but more than ready and even eager for a challenge. The universe, in all its wisdom, took that as a challenge of its own. Because when Trep boarded the next dropship and looked around, he found Red looking back at him. 

There was no doubt in Trep's mind that it was the very same Captain that he had thought himself finally free from. He couldn't see the man - but he knew it by some instinct. It was something in the man's distant scent, or maybe it was the way Red was so obviously staring back at him with tension high in his shoulders. Trep wondered what Red was thinking - couldn't help but wonder if it was the same expletive going through his own mind. 

Well. He _had_ wanted a challenge.


	2. Frayed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red's suspicions only grow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adjusted the tags a little.

"Don't you have tasks to be doing elsewhere, Cyan?" Trep nearly snorted at the captain's tone, and he hoped the human could sense the lack of amusement in the look Trep sent his way. Red was half-perched in the cushioned chair at weapons, the headset that would let him scan for debris hanging from his hand. If Trep was unamused, Red was borderline angry - his tone was cool and composed, but Trep could see the strain in his shoulders. 

"I'm your buddy, Captain," Trep responded, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms, " _your_ decision, once again, I might remind you. Isn't the point of buddies to make sure neither of us is alone?" 

"I'm sure you can handle yourself. To be frank, Cyan, I don't trust that you won't put a dagger in my back the moment I slip this headset on. I, for one, would feel much better if you went off to finish something else while I take care of this."

A _dagger?_ Trep would half devour the captain at the very least - the captain was undervaluing himself, in the Impostor's opinion. Underestimating Trep, too - as if the Impostor couldn't just slip back into the room through the vent. It was a tempting thought, even - Red was right, after all. With the headset on, he'd be easy pickings. Trep could leave, wait for the human to let his guard down, and then slip back in for the kill. 

Too risky. They hadn't seen anyone in awhile, and the whole crew knew that he was Red's partner. Maybe Brown could manage it while Trep was away, securing an alibi. If he saw her, he'd try to communicate as much. 

"You know," Trep said, pushing off the wall and heading for the door, "I think I liked you better before the trauma set in, Captain." 

"The feeling's mutual. Lock the door on your way out."

Trep rolled his eyes and reached for the biometric lock, setting it to seal once the door was closed. He glanced back to make sure Red was watching - not that he needed to check - and then left as commanded. 

* * *

Red had handed Trep the perfect opportunity, and the Impostor was determined not to waste it. It took a little work to set things up - without an alibi, Red would suspect Trep immediately and the others would undoubtedly listen. So the Impostor spent some time in a group with White and Black - listened to the humans idly talk while they worked on their separate tasks. He didn't see Brown, but the extra visibility from a passing Purple was reassuring. When White and Black headed towards the reactor, Trep excused himself to care for his own tasks in Oxygen. 

Which he didn't, of course. He paused at Navigations - but the door was still shut, and Red was still inside. So, Trep continued on - he looped around the bottom of the ship towards Electrical and, even better, passed not a single soul along the way. When Trep slipped into Electrical and saw Yellow there, working on a set of wires, Trep almost couldn't believe his luck. True, Red was some risk - but that would be true so long as the human was suspicious of Trep. That didn't seem likely to change any time soon, so the Impostor would simply have to work around it. White, Black, and maybe Purple would vouch for Trep - Brown, of course, would do her best to do the same. Red's accusations would likely get Trep a few uncertain glances, but was unlikely to be enough to condemn him entirely. 

Yellow was _right there._ It was a setup far too easy to ignore. If Trep waited for there to be no risk, he'd never get a kill. 

"Everything alright in here, Yellow?" Trep asked. Yellow jumped violently and spun in place, although he let out a strained breath when he spotted Trep. 

"Jeez Cyan, you just scared the shit out of me," Yellow said as he turned back to the panel he'd been working on. "Yeah, it's fine. Just about done, actually - you here for downloads?" 

"Yeah," Trep agreed, making his way over to the tablet in question. He _did_ have data to download - so he started doing so, just for good measure. Yellow said something else, but Trep wasn't paying much attention to the human's words anymore. He couldn't play around - there wasn't time. It had to be quick. Still, there was more than one option. A stab, a bite, a quick snap of the neck - 

"Yellow." 

Once again, Yellow yelped and spun towards the door, while Trep felt his eye twitch as he looked that way as well. Red stood in the doorway, and once he had their attention, he stepped inside and gestured with a hand. 

"Purple's having some trouble carrying the gas canisters - I'd appreciate it if you could go and help him out."

"Oh, uh, sure boss, no problem. I've just got this one wire left -" 

"I'll take care of it," Red said, seemingly casual but leaving no room for argument, "I'd rather you go now."

Inexplicably, Yellow's helmet turned slightly as the human looked towards Trep. The Impostor didn't look back - he was watching Red instead, seething at the interruption. Yellow's shuffle out of the room was awkward and unsure, and his footsteps away were more than a little hurried. Red turned his head slightly as if listening to the other human retreat, while Trep kept his eyes on the captain. 

"So. You pegged Yellow as your first victim, huh?" 

It took more exertion than it should have for Trep not to react to the sudden accusation. He turned the instinct to go still into a slight tilt of his head - and leaned back against the wall in a faux show of relaxation. 

"'Fraid I don't know what you mean, Red."

"You were going to kill him," Red said. He stepped further into the room and reached behind him to lay his hand on the biometric scanner. The door to Electrical slid closed with a click. 

It was bold. Trep was impressed despite himself. 

"Of course I wasn't. Look, Captain. _Red._ I'd like to know what it is I've done to earn your distrust. I've run our previous missions over and over in my head and can't find the answer. We _survived_ together."

" _Only_ us. Both times," Red shot back. As if being swept into a discussion, he began to pace in small paths back and forth - his gaze never leaving Trep for long. "On missions where the Impostors were skilled enough to kill everyone else, no less. Sure, we stuck together often - but we spent plenty of time apart. Plenty of time for either of us to be killed - yet there you were, every time. Alive and well. No worse for the wear. No worries or anxiety. Seemingly always ready with the right answers. You're good, Cyan. But you're too good. Too adept. _You_ have been the one responsible for more than a few of those deaths - you're an Impostor. I know it as sure as I know myself."

"Then maybe you don't know yourself as well as you think you do," Trep retorted, "Your accusations are baseless, Captain, and your paranoia is showing. Honestly, I can hardly blame you after our previous missions - but stop and think for a moment. I could ask the same questions of you, after all. How is it that _you_ always survive?"

"I'd love to know the answer to that," Red shot back, "why is it that you always let me live?" 

"Because I'm no Impostor, Red," Trep responded, letting humor suffuse his voice, hearing it intermingle with his very real frustration. 

"I don't believe you," Red said. He paused, turned, and took a few steps closer to Trep. He peered up at the Impostor and pressed a finger into Trep's chest. He was close enough that Trep could see his face through the visor - despite his accusations, there was no fear in Red's eyes. No tremble in his body. He was calm - anger seethed quietly beneath the surface of his visage but it did not control him. "I don't trust you, Cyan. I've made you my partner so that I can watch your every move. Even now, I was waiting. I knew Yellow would be in here eventually - I thought you might make a move. Sure as shit, here you are." He paused to let out a half breath - a bitter humor in its depths. "I suppose there's no winning for you, is there? If I catch you killing, I'll know. If there isn't much killing at all, well, that'll tell me all I need to know, too. You might as well be honest, Cyan. You're cornered."

"Oh Captain," Trep answered, letting his own mouth curl into a smile. "You're barking up the wrong tree, of course. But the curiosity is eating me alive, so, tell me - even if you _were_ right." He leaned over the human, leaned his face as close to Red's as their helmets would allow, and smirked. "What are you going to do about it?" 

"You think you scare me, Cyan?" Red asked, the answer seemingly ready on his tongue. What would be foolish bravado in anyone else seemed genuine in Red. Trep _didn't_ scare the human - and that fact only made him want to try harder. 

"I _think_ , if I'm really the Impostor you claim I am," Trep answered, "I _should."_ Before Red could answer or protest, Trep grabbed the front of his suit and shoved Red back against the wall. Trep pressed in until their bodies were flush - there was a _clunk_ as their visors tapped against each other. This close, Trep could see Red's face near perfectly. So, when Trep spotted the smallest bit of color in Red's cheeks, he felt his own grin grow wicked. 

"Oh. Is it something _else_ you feel at the thought of me being a bloodthirsty monster, Captain?" Trep asked quietly, and the fluster that brought to Red's cheeks sent a shock through Trep's system. 

"I'm not afraid of you," Red repeated in a snarl. He pushed against Trep, who let him go and stepped away without a second of hesitation. Red glared, his stance shifting into something guarded and defensive and angry. "And I'm certainly not _interested_ in you. I don't trust you. The second you give me even the smallest sliver of proof, I'll push you out the airlock myself." Without waiting for a response, Red opened the door and made to leave. The Impostor watched him go - and for a moment, knew it was the time. One quick attack - his tongue right through Red's chest - and the man would be dead. The crew would be thrown into chaos without their captain, Trep could get away unscathed - with a quick followup of Yellow to be sure - and he'd never have to worry about the eagle-eyed human again. 

Trep did nothing as Red walked away and vanished into the ship.


	3. Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A crewmate finally falls, but the end result is different than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning for descriptions of gore.

Red's flashlight bobbled along as he walked, Trep following at the requested six feet behind the captain. The lights of the Skeld were down - Trep's own handiwork thanks to a quick snip while the Captain was distracted. At worst, it'd unnerve the humans - at best, it'd afford Brown a chance to get a kill. _He_ hadn't had the opportunity - Red had insisted on sticking together more than ever before. When the lights had gone down, Red had immediately begun the trek towards Electrical. Ever the captain, throwing himself between his crew and what might be lying in the dark. 

Trep leaned against the doorway as Red worked on the lights - idly watching the human while waiting to see if any of the others would show. The scent was faint, at first - but almost as soon as Trep noticed it, it seemed to build in intensity. 

Blood. 

Brown had managed a kill after all - and Trep could only assume it was behind the large panel that cut Electrical in half. He wondered who it was - and wondered if the captain would think to check there once the lights were repaired. The answer to that should have been obvious - if not for what they found, undoubtedly Red would have gone on to sweep every inch of the ship until all crewmates were accounted for. 

Instead, he finished the repair, stepped around the corner, and froze. Curious, Trep stepped up behind the human to take a look as well. 

It was Purple, and it was messy. Brown must have been hungry - there were far less human remains than expected. The corpse was ripped apart, and its remaining organs had been scattered around the room almost as violently as the blood. Trep might not have even known it was Purple, if not for the partially intact lower half that was still leaking blood into the pool beneath it. 

Red grimaced and looked away as he brought the back of his hand up to his helmet. Trep looked to the human immediately - but that was as much reaction as Red gave. He kept his eyes away for a long moment, and took a few deep breaths in between. When his hand moved for his Comms device it was surprisingly steady - and there was barely a tremor in his voice as he spoke into it. 

"Emergency meeting in the Cafeteria," Red said, "I expect every one of you to be there immediately. If not, you'd best have a damn good reason." There was no response, and Red didn't seem to expect one. He slipped the device away and, then, brought his head up to look at Trep. Immediately, the Impostor lifted his hands. 

"I've been with you all day, Captain. Do I really need to repeat myself?" 

A hard breath was all the answer he got. Red made a show of taking a wide step around Trep, then left the room. Trep threw one last look at the body, briefly fought the instinct for _just a bite,_ and then followed after Red. 

The others were in the cafeteria when they got there - including Brown, who looked spotless and just as shaken as the rest. She was caught in a tense conversation with Yellow, mirroring the human's worried whispers. The entire group fell still as Red and Trep approached the table. 

The meeting was, unsurprisingly, fruitless. There was no proof - every crewmate could be accounted for, at least up until the lights went out. It wasn't just Brown who got separated from her partner then, either - White and Black, as well as Blue and Green, had also lost sight of each other. And they were all hesitant to point their fingers at one another - so, in the end, there were no answers. Eventually, Red got to his feet, his movement once again cutting off the conversations around the table. Trep didn't miss the way the human's hands curled against the tabletop. 

"Whoever did this, I hope you enjoyed yourself," Red said. His voice was low and dangerous - but steady and controlled. "This will be the last time you get away with it. This is not the first time I've dealt with your kind, and you'll notice I'm still very much here." He pushed himself up into a full stand. Red's helmet turned in place as he swept his gaze over the table - avoiding only Trep, who he didn't turn towards at all. 

When next Red spoke, his tone was closer to normal - cool and calm and commanding. "Green, Blue, and Brown. I'm going to task you with cleanup. Are there any issues with that?" Red said. The three in question glanced briefly at each other, then shook their heads. Nodding, Red continued. "As for the rest of you. If there are any further tasks to be doing, get them finished. Then return to your quarters. I don't want anyone wandering the ship who has no reason to be. Stay in as big of a group as you can manage - no less than three. We'll reconvene for our morning meeting, and I will provide more guidance then. Any questions?" When there were only more headshakes, Red nodded once more. "I'll be in my quarters if you need me. Though, if you come to see me, alert me over the Comms first." With that, he turned and left the room - a stiffness to his walk and a tension in his shoulders that Trep could see clear as day. 

The others didn't talk much as they got to their feet and dispersed. As they broke into groups, Trep noted that they were following the captain's orders - none of them stayed in their usual groups of two. A few of the usual partners seemed to gravitate towards each other - while the others seemed flighty even near their buddies. One death, and the tension was already high. 

It was a dangerous amount of strain, but with the right tactic it could be turned inward and used to destroy the group from the inside out. 

Trep was left on his own, and he wondered if any of the humans had even noticed. He had already finished what tasks he cared to do - which were really only those in areas the Captain went. No need to help the ship along any more than strictly necessary. He considered returning to his own quarters - but tried not to put too much thought into why his feet were carrying him towards Red's, instead. 

He lingered outside of the captain's door, uncertain why he was even there. The chance that Red let him in was slim - and it wasn't as if he _wanted_ in to begin with. Stress was a good thing - if Red broke from it, he'd lose credibility with his team. Turning them on him would be easy - even if it was only enough to make them doubt his judgement. Trep should be using this time to sow that discourse. If he must be with Red, he should be burrowing beneath the human's skin - doing what he could to break Red further. Despite his composure, the man couldn't be far from it. How many of his crewmates had he lost, now? 

There was the sudden sound of something shattering within Red's room, and Trep knocked his knuckles against the door before he even _thought_ to do it. The air grew quiet and tense, and Trep was trying to work out how best to break through the door when Red finally spoke. 

"What is it?" 

"Let me in, Red."

"Absolutely not. Leave me be, Cyan. You're the last person I want to see right now."

"Not very captain-like of you," Trep said, leaning against the door. "Didn't you just say we could come to you if we needed anything?" 

"I also said to radio ahead of time," Red responded shortly, "that wasn't for _you,_ anyway." There was a pause, and Trep waited, sensing that the human had more to say. When Red next spoke, there was a sort of tiredness in his voice that came through as something flat. "What did you need, Cyan?" 

It wasn't about need. Trep didn't _need_ anything. He didn't need to see that Red was alright - he didn't need to know what that sound had been. He didn't even _want._ It was time to walk away, maybe with a scathing parting comment. His feet refused to move, and Trep didn't understand why he couldn't just _walk away._

"To come in," he responded instead. He expected more refusal - Trep was ready to accept that, to use it as the final push he clearly needed to turn away and forget the human entirely. So he wasn't sure what to make of it when the door all at once slid open to reveal Red standing there. 

The silence between them stretched on as Trep studied the human. Red's helmet was off - there were heavy shadows under his eyes that seemed to bleed up into his irises, leaving them dark and distant. He was looking at Trep, but seemed to simultaneously be looking _past_ the Impostor. The lines in his face were strained, and Trep wondered when last Red had slept. That was important for humans, right? 

The coppery, _strong_ scent of blood all at once distracted Trep from Red's appearance. The Impostor's eyes went down to where Red was resting one of his hands against his chest - it was gloveless, badly cut along the knuckles, and freshly bleeding. That had decidedly not been the case when Red had left the cafeteria. 

"What on earth did you do to yourself, Captain?" Trep asked, finding it difficult to take his eyes away from the wounded appendage. There was something tight in his chest, and it made him badly want to - 

Trep pushed it away. Refused to give it another thought. He forced his eyes to rise - to return to Red's. 

"Lost a fight with a mirror." 

Trep angled himself to peer around Red and quickly spotted the mirror in question - now shattered, most of its glass on the floor. 

"Was your mirror also an Impostor?" 

"What did you _want,_ Cyan?" Red asked in exasperation. Trep returned his attention once more to the human and, in a sudden jolt of awareness, realized he didn't know the answer to that question. He couldn't pinpoint what it was that had brought him to Red's door - only that the man had seemed so tense after Purple, not quite himself - 

"Nothing," Trep said as he took a step back from the human. "I was passing by, heard shattering, and thought I ought to do my duty as a crewmate to make sure you were still alive. Clearly you are. Though, you should get that seen to," He added, pointing at Red's hand. Inexplicably and suddenly restless, even borderline agitated, Trep turned away. He'd hardly taken a step when Red spoke. 

"Cyan -" 

"I'm going to the Crewmates' quarters," Trep interrupted, feeling a bit as if someone else were speaking for him. "I intend to cross through the cafeteria - I don't have any outstanding tasks, so I'll be going straight to my bunk. I might grab an MRE on the way." 

"What?" 

"You're so mistrustful of me, Captain," Trep continued. He looked over his shoulder at Red and gave a shrug far more careless than he felt. "I thought you might appreciate knowing where I'd be going. I'll even come find you first thing in the morning, so you can account for me then, too." Trep paused, managed a smirk - Red couldn't see it, but his furrowed brow said he got the gist. "Or would you feel safer if I kept my distance?" 

"I'm not letting you out of my sight more than is strictly necessary."

"You didn't think twice about leaving me with your crew in the cafeteria just now," Trep pointed out. 

"You didn't think twice about coming to check on me," Red shot back so quickly it was as if he'd had it prepared. 

Trep opened his mouth for his own retort, and felt a sharp stab of annoyance when nothing came out. When Red rose an eyebrow in some semblance of his own surprise, Trep felt something hot burn in his chest. 

"Don't flatter yourself, Captain," Trep finally forced out. "Like I said, I just happened to be passing when you decided to injure yourself. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered." He didn't give the human another chance to respond - Trep looked forward and walked away. That heat turned into something seething as Trep followed his previously outlined path. 

He badly needed an outlet. Trep wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth into _something._ Preferably some _one_. Red was off-limits - he pushed that thought aside as it made him burn hotter - but there was still a lot of crew to get through. For the moment, Trep would do exactly as he told Red. When night fell, though, when the humans were all asleep, he'd set out in search 

After Purple's death, surely one of the crew would have trouble sleeping. 


	4. Boiling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If not for Trep's foul mood, things would have worked out differently. He's sure of it.

Trep's agitation wouldn't fade - and the night proved to be no help. He spent the hours of the evening in the vents, slipping from room to room hoping to find a wandering insomniac. If he'd been able to find just one human alone, it would have been an easy kill - the redemption would have soothed his anger and renewed his clarity. 

Despite the death of their fellow, though, the humans seemed to sleep just fine. At least, those in his own quarters did. If any were awake in the other room, they did not leave it. He didn't bother to check through the vents. The quarters themselves were too dangerous a place to kill, anyway - it was impossible to know if a light-sleeping human might wake at the first _squelch_ and call the alarm. 

One of Trep's partners had learned that the hard way. 

As the night wore on without an opportunity, Trep felt the same anger from before settling into a heavy ball in his gut. It burned slowly there - driving him, eventually, to tear into an MRE in the feral and desperate attempt to feel _something_ pulled apart in his jaws. 

It hadn't helped. 

When morning found him making his way to Red's quarters, as promised, it also found him in one of the foulest moods he'd ever experienced. Trep waited outside the human's door, leaned against the wall, and tried to decide on a strategy to net a kill that day. Difficult when the humans were grouping so much, but hardly impossible - and hardly the first time he'd faced similar or worse odds. Still, his mind felt…stuck, somehow. Everytime he came across a contentious point in whatever plan he was considering - the problem usually Red related - it made that heavy pit in his gut churn anew. It distracted him, and suddenly he found himself at the start of that same plan with no new answers or ideas. 

When Red finally stepped from his quarters, Trep sent a glare the human's way without fully intending to. Red paused in his tracks and looked back towards Trep - his gaze hidden and unreadable behind his visor. They stood there for a moment, the tension thick between them, and then Red turned and walked away. The silent order stoked Trep's temper further, and he was tempted to make a scene, right then and there. 

Instead, he pushed away from the wall and followed after Red. 

They began the day in Navigations, which was usual, and Red seemed content to silently focus his attention on charting the next leg of their course. Trep set the previous day's data to upload, then pulled away the electrical panel to poke at the wires within. They needed no attention, but better Trep's focus was there than on the human nearby. 

Even the passing thought of Red annoyed Trep all over again. He just didn't understand _why._

"What's the problem, Cyan?" 

Trep went still at the sudden question, and when he turned it was to find Red watching him from the captain's chair. It was not the day, and Trep was not the one - but if the Captain insisted on picking a fight, who was Trep to deny him? 

"There are plenty of problems, Red, where would you like me to start?" Trep responded, relieved when his voice slipped out far calmer than he felt. 

"How about whatever it is that's got your hackles up?" 

" _My_ hackles? That's awfully hypocritical of you, seeing as you've been disagreeable since this mission began. What's the matter, Captain, can't take what you're so willing to dish out?" 

"You're deflecting," Red said, a note of amusement in his voice. 

"You're getting on my last nerve," Trep snapped back. 

"If you're this aggravated, I must be doing a good job at interrupting your mission." 

"My mission is the same as yours," Trep said, taking a half step closer to Red, "and I'm getting tired of repeating myself about the matter. I'm getting rather tired of you as well, actually. Seeing as we're no longer working well together, why don't you do us both a favor and pick a new partner, Red?" 

"Not a chance. You're well aware of my feelings on the matter."

"Oh, I am half a second from showing you exactly what _my_ feelings on the matter are." Trep said, a growl in his voice he couldn't contain. He took another step towards the human with no idea whatsoever of what he'd do when he got there. The decision was stolen from him entirely, though, when a sudden _bang_ from the corner vent froze Trep in place. 

For a long time after, Trep would fervently blame Brown for what happened next. If she'd only _warned_ him, he could have been better prepared for her attack - could have helped, even, or at least been sure Red was alone. Instead, Trep was caught off-guard in a moment when his anger was burning deeper than ever. He was startled at a time when he craved nothing more than violence. So when, in that moment, he saw Brown lunge from the vents with her gaze locked on Red, Trep's true, abdominal maw seemed to split open of its own accord. The next thing he knew, Brown was speared through the head on his tongue - her attack truncated long before she hit Red. 

The silence that fell over the room was deafening. 

Red stared at Trep. Trep stared at Brown. He told himself to kill Red. The best time to do so had long passed but the second best time was _then. Right then_. It'd be easy - his weaponized tongue was already free, after all. A swipe in the right direction, and Red would be sliced in two. Problem solved. Brown condemned and avenged all in one go. Trep freed from suspicion and from Red's strange hold over him. 

His body wouldn't _listen._ He was frozen - stuck. 

"I knew it," Red breathed. Trep whipped his head around to look at the human. Trep's hearts were pounding in his ears, but he couldn't even begin to name the emotion driving them anymore. Red turned his head to look at Brown - watched as her body shivered and morphed and _melted_ into something more closely matching her true form. 

Trep couldn't breathe. He wanted Red to say _something_ and, at the same time, didn't want the man to say a word. When Red looked towards him again and, then, stood and took a step forward, Trep took a number of steps back and tensed - a snarl curling his true mouth. Red stopped dead in his tracks, and Trep wished he could just see the human's _face._

"I don't…understand," Red said slowly, staying where he was. "Why did you…" He trailed off, paused for a few rapid heartbeats. "Cyan - you saved me?" 

Without another word, Trep fled for the very same vent Brown had come from. 

* * *

Red's call for an emergency meeting came a short time later, and Trep grimaced as the sound echoed in the vent. There was a part of him that wanted to stay hidden - but he scolded it harshly and pushed it aside. He had a job to do - that was a fact that he had let himself forget for too long. Red would out Trep at this meeting - there was no doubt the other crew would believe such a strong accusation, especially with Brown's body as proof. They would attempt to strong-arm Trep into the airlock. Trep would fight. 

He was strong - he would likely win. He would kill the entire crew, reroute the ship, and return to his home. He was long past due for a vacation and, once he was rested, he could return for a fresh start with a new face. There'd be no more human under his skin, no more Captain Red to deal with. It'd be back to what he knew - what he was good at. No more second guessing. 

With a quick glance about, Trep slipped from the vent. He stood as his body readjusted itself to his human form - and gave a slight shake once it had settled. He gave himself one more look over, making sure he didn't appear as ruffled as he felt, and then headed for the cafeteria. His true mouth itched - ready to split open at the smallest provocation. 

Trep stared ahead as he took a place at the table - slipped into a seat next to Black and far from Red. He didn't look at any of the other crew - and could tell that there were no looks coming towards him from Red, either. Trep listened with half a ear, mentally calculating who would die first, who was the biggest threat, how many he could - 

"Brown was the Impostor," Red said. The group went tense and a couple of them broke out into alarmed whispers. Red let it continue for a moment before he lifted his hand for quiet. "She attacked me in Navigations, but her attempt was cut short. She's dead - her body will be proof enough. I'll need assistance dealing with it, anyway." He paused and tapped his fingers against the table. His gaze went to Trep, then - the Impostor could feel it burning into him. Trep refused to look back - instead he tensed, and continued to stare at a spot on the wall. His tongue curled in his gut. Poised. 

"Cyan dealt the killing blow," Red continued, and Trep's blood stilled in his veins. "If he hadn't been there, it's likely Brown's attack would have succeeded." Trep couldn't help it, then. He looked to Red - knew when he'd met the man's eyes even through their helmets. Something else curled in his gut, then - that very familiar, red-hot lead ball. 

_Now_ Red trusted him? Now, when Trep had finally proven the human right? 

"We shouldn't let down our guard entirely," Red continued, "it's good to always be alert. Previous experience has taught me, however, that if we'd had two Impostors on this ship, there would be more of us dead by now. You should all continue to keep to larger groups when possible, but…try not to be too hard on each other. White, Black - if you could help me with Brown's body, it would be appreciated. Anyone else who wishes to see is welcome as well."

There were responses from the others, and questions, but Trep didn't hear them. He was too focused on Red - too distracted by the way his vision pulsed in time with heartbeats. How dare Red insinuate that Trep was not a _threat -_ Trep didn't know if the human was delusional or arrogant, but either way Red was _wrong._ Trep didn't know if it'd be a crewmate he'd kill or Red himself, but he knew he was done playing. He had to be - it was Trep's fault that Red believed him weak, and it was the Impostor's job to fix it. 

Trep hardly noticed as the humans left the room - but once he realized he was alone, he got abruptly to his feet. He looked the way they'd all gone - all off to see Brown's body for themselves, no doubt. He considered, for a moment, charging after them and ripping through the group as a whole. 

No, he told himself. _Careful. Careful._ It was not the time to give in to this strange urge to be reckless. So, with a long breath, Trep turned for the opposite direction instead. The sound of his own footsteps echoed through the cafeteria as he made his way for the left side of the ship. 

Trep soon found himself on the security cameras. He tapped repeatedly through the feeds as he tried to settle his badly frayed nerves - every one was tense. _Yearning._ He couldn't have been sure how long he sat there - he watched as the group split again, but never in workable numbers. Three. Four. A group of them passed near Security - chatting with something like _cheer -_ and the computer mouse snapped in Trep's grasp. 

Then, finally, Trep saw Red pass by the camera near Oxygen - likely on his way to Weapons. Alone. No one else had passed that area in ages. 

It was the chance Trep had been waiting for. He turned the feed off, got to his feet, and made his way to Weapons without any further hesitation. As if the universe were clearing his path, he passed not a soul on his way - the cafeteria was almost deafeningly quiet. At the doorway to Weapons, Trep paused to look in. Red was still alone, half crouched with his back to the door while he adjusted something in the room's electrical panel. 

As Trep entered the room, he slapped his hand to the biometric lock - causing both doors of the room to snap shut. Red stilled his hands, but didn't otherwise react to Trep's presence. With a deep growl, Trep allowed his abdomen to split - his tongue slipped out into the air, the sharp-laced edge shimmering in the dull light. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Trep asked, his voice distorted and deep as it echoed from both of his maws. "Just what game are you playing, Red?" 

"Cyan," Red responded, his tone even and strangely devoid of emotion. He straightened from his task, but didn't turn fully around - only looked over his shoulder, gaze aimed in Trep's direction. Trep waited for the human to speak - expected gloating or blame or any number of negative reactions. Any of which would have provided the excuse Trep inexplicably needed to attack. When Red spoke, though, he was calm. 

"I was hoping you'd come."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Give me a hot second for the next chapter, folks. It's uncharted territory for me and it's been a hell of a challenge getting it right. No worries if it takes a bit longer than usual.
> 
> Thank you for all of the support!


	5. Overflow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trep's rage boils over - and then, it's something else entirely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI - This is /the/ explicit chapter. I have once again adjusted the tags - the blood tag is for a bit of (imo) mild blood play. Now that we're here, I also find the dubcon tag to be overkill - but am leaving it, just in case. Technically consent isn't discussed so it is, in a way, dubious. 
> 
> If you're looking to skip anything involving the tags above, this is the chapter to skip. There's some personality development but no real plot. You can safely skip without missing too much. 
> 
> There is one important piece of information that I will put in the notes at the bottom of the chapter - if you're skipping, please be sure to give them a glance. There is a bit of dirty/bite talk just above the end, so if you want to skip even that, hit me up in the comments or Tumblr and I can tell you what you need to know.

A long moment of silence stretched between them. Human and Impostor stared at each other - at least, as much as they could when the human refused to turn.

"Why didn't you tell them about me?" Trep asked, finally, pitching his voice low in an effort to retain some control of it. 

"Why should I have? You saved me."

"In a moment of poor judgement and _weakness._ I don't know what delusion you've built up about me, but if you think I'm some innocent, _harmless_ Impostor -" 

"I'm not an idiot, Cyan. I'm well aware that you're not innocent." Trep didn't miss how Red failed to address the second modifier. As his blood boiled anew, Trep found himself unable to respond for a few heartbeats - and there was no control when he finally did. 

"Clearly you're _something_ , or you wouldn't have your back turned to me!" Trep snarled. At that Red went still, and finally the human turned to face Trep entirely. Even then, though, his stance was calm. Composed. The tension that'd been hounding the human for weeks was noticeably less - he was practically _relaxed._

"Cyan -" Red began, and there was something in his tone that drove Trep to take a step forward with a growl. 

"Don't. Don't you _dare_ patronize me, Red," Trep said in warning, that boiling feeling rising to his throat. The room felt narrower, as if it'd gone completely out of focus beyond Red - who'd never looked so clear. It only worsened when Red gave a quick, soft chuckle. 

"I have to say, I didn't even realize you could _get_ this angry, Cyan." Red said. It wasn't the words that flipped the switch in Trep - it was the glibness behind them. A clear sign that Red still refused to take the Impostor seriously. That burning feeling in Trep poured over and, before he knew it, he'd launched himself at Red and tackled the human to the ground. 

Trep pinned Red on his back - his knees dug into the man's thighs, his hands shoved Red's shoulders into the floor. Another snarl ripped through Trep - the sound causing his abdominal teeth to ripple in warning. All the while he could feel Red's stare piercing into him - it refused to waver. Red's body refused to tremble. 

"You should be _terrified_ of me _,"_ Trep hissed, a drop of saliva slipping from his true mouth. "You should be _begging_ me not to kill you. I could, you know. I could snap you in half. Rip your spine out of your stomach. Open my maw wider still and eat half of you in a single bite."

"Then do it," Red retorted, and Trep saw red. Halfway to incognizant, Trep lunged down and sank his now dagger-like teeth - those of his false, human-mimic mouth - into the meat of Red's shoulder. Suit gave way to skin which snapped beneath his teeth and flooded Trep's mouth with blood. Red hissed and even groaned in pain - but refused to scream. The human bucked, once, as if unable to stop his instinct to be rid of his attacker, and that second of weakness lit Trep's nerves on fire. He bit harder, felt muscle flex around his teeth and against his gums. Red's harsh hiss turned to labored breathing - try as the human might, his composure was slipping. 

Was he ever _trying,_ though. Even as Trep continued his assault, Red did not scream - not in pain, not for help. Instead he grit his teeth - the noise like daggers in Trep's ears - and pushed himself upwards. Trep barely paid Red mind - until suddenly there were teeth on _Trep's_ ear. They were tiny, flat, _human_ teeth that sunk into the cartilage and sent a shock straight through the Impostor's system. He froze on instinct, his every thought screeching to a halt until the teeth slipped away and Red spoke low into his ear. 

"Two can play at that game."

Without warning, Red heaved - and promptly flipped them both. Trep unlatched from the human as Red shoved him into the ground and sat there, perched over Trep and panting at the exertion. Blood from the wound dropped onto the Impostor's face - and it was nearly as warm as where Red's body was pressing into Trep's own. They stared at each other for a long moment - Trep realized that he was breathing nearly as hard as the human. 

"You think we're playing the same game, Red?" He finally asked, the words far more breathless than he intended. Far less threatening. A thrill went through him, though, when Red all at once froze in place - a response to the way Trep's body suddenly shifted to unleash a writhing collection of prehensile tentacles. 

They grabbed at Red with half a mind of their own. One wrapped around a bicep, another an ankle, one even slid down to encircle one of the human's thighs. Others found their places and with their added stability, Trep flipped them both once more. This time, as he bore down on Red, his tentacles made it clear that Red would not gain the upper hand again. 

"You're not even on the same _field,"_ Trep hissed. 

Red was impossible to read through his visor and, in a pique of annoyance, Trep realized he needed nothing as much as he needed to see the human's face. Two of his extra appendages worked in unison to unclasp Red's helmet, remove it, and promptly whip it across the room. 

Red was _glaring_ at him, his eyes dark and piercing - but there was something else besides anger in their heat. Red's pupils were wide, his skin was flushed, and yes, he was glaring, but somehow it seemed like an _invitation._ Trep had expected to be egged on by the human's anger - but Red's dark gaze made the Impostor still instead. He only stared, _again,_ as something coiled almost painfully tight in his gut. 

"Damn you to hell," Trep finally breathed out. " _Damn_ you, Red. Do you have any idea how badly I just want to -" Trep growled as he tightened his fingers around Red's shoulders. The sentence wouldn't come because Trep didn't _know_ what he wanted, but he knew that every second Red looked at him like that, he wanted it _more._

"What, Cyan?" Red asked in his own, rough hiss, "What do you want, hm? Do you want to kill me?" Suddenly, Red bucked his hips up - pressed his body against Trep's and all at once it felt harder for the Impostor to breathe. Harder to focus. Whatever clarity this tussle with Red had brought all at once vanished in a haze of _want._ Of _need._ He shifted - brought his human mouth closer to Red's neck. He hovered his teeth over the human's skin - not quite touching as he breathed in. He'd never noticed just how uniquely _Red_ the human's scent was. "Or," Red continued, his languid and near deadly tone slipping beneath Trep's haze, "Do you want to fuck me? Whichever it is you'd better choose, Cyan. I'm getting _impatient."_

The clarity of those words - the glaring truth of what this moment had brought them to - was a beacon to Trep's more primal mind. 

"I could do both," Trep muttered as he lifted his head to look Red in the eyes. It'd meant to be a threat, but even to his own ears it fell flat. It was musing, nearly a question - as if Trep were _asking_ Red his opinion. Red's answer was to bring his hand up and tangle his fingers within Trep's hair. He tugged, bringing Trep's face even closer to his own. 

"You won't," Red responded, his voice gone breathless.

He was right. 

With a snarl, Trep surged down and captured Red's mouth with his own. There was no resistance as he slipped his tongue past the other man's lips - and although Red couldn't hope to compete with the alien appendage, his tongue flexed in a decent attempt as Trep encircled it with his own. 

Trep's abdominal tongue was not to be neglected, either. He shifted the edge to something dull and harmless, then pressed the flat of his larger tongue flush between his body and Red's. Trep flexed the appendage - inched it along Red's body, lower and lower, until he was able to slip it beneath the human and use it to cradle Red's groin. 

The man stiffened - and Trep could feel that to be true in more ways than one. 

Smirking into their interlocked lips, Trep undulated his abdominal tongue - almost immediately, Red began to rock his hips in a complimenting pattern. Trep didn't miss the way Red's breathing quickened. Invigorated, Trep pressed his body more firmly into Red's and tightened his 'human' tongue a little more snugly around Red's own. His other appendages began to move - squeezing a bicep here, slipping up and down a thigh there. One tentacle came up to stroke along Red's cheek - it trailed down his neck to the neckline of his suit, then slipped beneath. It fit, but the sudden catch of Red's suit made Trep pause. He retracted his false tongue and nipped lightly at the human's bottom lip as he pushed himself up and somewhat away. 

His abdominal tongue stilled, and Red let out a soft huff. With some difficulty, he brought his eyes to meet Trep's. The Impostor felt a jolt of electricity through his nerves at the dazed fog drifting over those eyes - broken only by the slow-gathering confusion starting to build in their depths. 

"You're not stopping _now?"_ Red asked. It could have almost been an order - but beneath the disbelief was a soft and clearly unintentional plea - even if Trep _had_ been planning to stop, that would have been enough to convince him otherwise. 

" _Patience_ , Captain. Patience." Trep teased. "This," He said as he brought a hand down to clasp at the neckline of Red's suit, "is in my way."

"Wait - don't rip it," Red said, dampened clarity returning to his eyes for a brief second. 

"Wouldn't dream of it." A lie - Trep had been seconds from tearing the suit apart to get at the captain beneath. He'd already bitten a hole into it, after all. But with Red's request in mind, Trep instead made use of his many appendages. He made quick and skilled work of unzipping and unclasping Red's suit - leaving it bundled around and beneath the man but, at least, mostly out of the way. 

Trep wasn't as gentle with the man's protective underclothes, but Red didn't seem to have any complaints about that. 

As Trep worked, he took the time to caress his tentacles over the human's skin wherever it was revealed. Red was soon panting again, writhing in place with every new touch. It was fascinating - Trep shifted to watch as he slipped a tentacle from Red's throat all the way down to his groin. Red arched his body like a wave along with it - and when Trep slipped his tentacle beneath Red's beltline and wrapped it around his cock, Red gasped and violently thrust his hips upwards.

It was as if another switch had been thrown in Trep's head, but this one craving something different than the usual violence. With a soft growl, Trep pressed both their bodies and mouths together again. As his tongue wrapped around the human's once more, Trep pumped his tentacle up and down - squeezing and releasing Red's cock in patterned movements. Other tentacles continued to explore the human's body - they stroked his skin, squeezed at his limbs, played around his nipples. The teeth of his midsection gently scraped at Red's middle, his second tongue licked and lapped - and all the while Red's bucking and breathing and writhing became more and more erratic. 

Trep had never seen the human lose his composure so drastically - that it'd taken only these seemingly simple touches was _exhilarating._ The captain's eyes were looking at nothing - half crossed as he panted. All at once, Red started to claw at Trep's shoulders - not that he could do much through the Impostor's suit - and he began to buck his hips far quicker than Trep's careful strokes were allowing for. 

"Cyan, I'm nearly - fuck - faster, would you?" 

"Trep," Trep pulled away and corrected on a sudden whim, stilling the tentacle in question. For a couple of seconds, Red continued to thrust against Trep, slowing only as he realized Trep had stopped. His eyes found the Impostor's - and there was a sharp spike of anger through their daze that made Trep grin. 

"Fucking - what?" Red asked, breathing hard. 

"My name, Captain. It's Trep. If you're going to be calling for me, you might as well use the right one." Trep angled to nip lightly at the underside of Red's jaw, and the man jerked as if he'd been electrocuted. 

"Addison," Red hissed out, and Trep grinned into his skin. 

"Addison," Trep all but purred in response. He trailed his tongue along the man's throat and, as requested, began to pump Addison's cock with more fervor than before. The human responded immediately - he clutched onto Trep and buried his face into the crook of the Impostor's neck. Trep nibbled at the captain's shoulder as he quickened his pace still further - Addison wasn't even bothering to move his hips, now, was simply along for the ride as Trep serviced him. 

He was saying Trep's name repeatedly - almost as if it were a grounding mantra. Every repetition was like hearing it anew all over again, and Trep returned the favor, murmuring Addison's name into the human's skin in between every nip. 

Suddenly, Addison's whole body went rigid. He bit his teeth into Trep's neck in a human's parody of Trep's earlier assault, and groaned deeply into the Impostor's skin. Trep slowed and then completely stilled his own movements as something almost shockingly warm dribbled over his tentacle. He enjoyed the feeling for the short moment it lasted and then, curiously, gave the human one last tug. 

When Addison jolted and hissed in a way that seemed more discomfort than pleasure, Trep got the hint. Slowly, he extracted his tentacle - lazily pulled it up along Addison's skin as it returned to Trep's body proper. It left a trail and, curious, Trep followed it with his abdominal tongue. 

It didn't jumpstart Trep's primal brain in the same way as blood did, but it was satisfying nonetheless. 

_He_ was satisfied, he realized in a blink. That burning anger that'd been weighing on him had finally ebbed, and he felt more like himself than he'd felt in - a long while, really. Trep's eyes went to the wound he'd left in Addison's shoulder, and lazily he began to lap at the blood that'd trailed all over the human's skin. When his tongue slipped a little too close to the wound proper, Addison hissed again. 

"That hurts," the human groused. 

"It should be kept clean, Captain," Trep retorted. All the same, he was mindful to avoid the more damaged flesh from then on. 

It took Addison some time to finally unfurl himself from the Impostor - not that Trep bothered to try and coax him along. Once he'd let go of Trep entirely, the human laid back on the floor with a soft huff. Trep shifted to half-prop himself up and look Addison in the face. Trep's own cautious contentment was reflected back at him - Addison's eyes had gone dark with something else, now, some quiet and satisfied cloud. 

Slowly, Trep's tentacles retreated and his abdomen stitched together until, finally, he was once again fully - _boringly_ \- human. 

Then, they just stared at each other. For awhile. Trep felt like they'd been doing that a lot, as of late. This was…unprecedented - Trep was sure just as much for Addison as for himself. There were discussions to be had - Trep with himself as well as with the human. There were things to be done - things the Impostor should be doing right then and there. He should be pushing away, denying what had just happened, making it clear that it changed nothing - _killing,_ if nothing else _._

Trep didn't _want_ to, though. For the moment, he felt _soothed._ He felt as if he'd finally managed to track down and scratch an itch that'd been evading him for days. He knew the thoughts would descend, if he let them - alarmed and angry reminders about what he was, who he was, what mattered in the grand scheme of things - and so he chose, for the moment, to not let them. He pushed them away - he'd deal with it later - and with a light huff of a breath, Trep smirked down at Addison. 

"I knew I had you pegged as a monster-fucker, Captain."

"Bite me."

With a grin, and to Addison's startled protest - 

"I wasn't being serious!" 

Trep acquiesced - although this time he took care not to draw blood. 

Not much of it, anyway. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The important information is - they know each other's names now. Red's name is Addison - important because I will be using it from here on out.
> 
> Additionally, although this is 'the big scene' I planned this whole thing around, please be mindful this is still an Explicit fic and there could be further explicit material dispersed through the following chapters. I'll still try to delineate anything that goes on for a bit - but it's unlikely anything else will be kept to its own chapter entirely. 
> 
> Anyway, enough blathering from me - I really hope you enjoyed.


	6. Balance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're both fooling themselves - but is there any harm in doing so for awhile longer?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, folks - you'd never believe how many different scenes I wrote and rewrote for this chapter.
> 
> Let's just say the content warning for sexual content is ongoing from here on out.

As if by some unspoken agreement, human and Impostor threw themselves recklessly and desperately into their new arrangement. Over the course of the next two or so weeks, rarely a day went by that they didn't come together for at least a brief tussle.

Trep continued to ignore those thoughts that would rip through the core of his being if he let them - and given Addison's ongoing willingness to allow himself to be ravished by an alien, Trep had to assume the man was doing the same. Whenever it became difficult for Trep to push the worst of the thoughts away - the furious reminders that called him _weak_ and _traitor -_ hunting down Addison for a romp always did the trick. 

Although Trep was more than satisfied simply lavishing attention on the human - and bringing him to ruin in the process - Addison was not content to be an inattentive partner. When Addison had demanded Trep guide him in how best to pleasure the Impostor, Trep had been intrigued - although he had denied the request, of course. 

"That's hardly fair, Captain," he'd teased in response, "after all, _I_ managed just fine without any guidance, and I've as much experience with humans as you have with Impostors."

It'd been a taunting challenge Trep hadn't intended to let go on for long - but Addison had risen to meet it with gusto. He _hadn't_ needed Trep's help, in the end, and the Impostor felt something near embarrassment whenever he remembered just how good it'd felt to become a writhing, mewling mess beneath Addison's touch. Of course, it'd been the only practical outcome when Addison had located Trep's stigma and had found that the partially prehensile genital was sensitive inside and out. 

The human had a lot of fun with that little discovery - not that Trep had any complaints. He'd had plenty of fun himself, and that was a boon to the Impostor - it let him better pretend, for a while, that _fun_ was all it was between him and Addison. Nevermind the continued existence of crew and ship - nevermind that time he'd had White in an impossibly perfect position and then had been unable to pull the trigger when Addison had floated into his thoughts. He was having _fun_ with the human, and there was nothing shameful in playing around. He'd get to the rest. Eventually. 

Then, as Trep passed by Addison's room late one night - rounding the ship as he often did while the humans slept - he heard the captain shout. The noise was quick and truncated - if Trep hadn't been near to begin with, he'd never had heard it at all. As it was, he did, and he paused at the door to the captain's quarters. He considered moving on and leaving Addison to his demons - but, in the end, Trep went to the door and rapped a single finger against it. Only once - if Addison didn't hear it, or chose to ignore it, that'd be the end of it. 

Instead, the door slid open after a long moment - and for a brief, brief second, Trep felt his breath catch. 

He'd seen Addison in various stages of undress by now - but it'd always involved the man's suit and underclothes and skin. Addison's sleepwear was different, though - something new. It was unburdened by the usual heavy suit and hung loosely over Addison's frame - Trep couldn't help but notice how easy it'd be to slip his hands beneath the spot where it fluttered over Addison's stomach. It was a gentle gray in color, and looked soft - Trep didn't even try to stop himself from reaching out and pinching a bit of the fabric between two fingers. He rolled it a bit, marveled at the downy texture. The clothing was so unlike the usually composed captain - and the stark contrast sent a thrill along Trep's nerves. 

"Did you need something?" Addison asked, and his tired voice drew Trep's attention back to the human's face. The shadows beneath Addison's eyes - which Trep had thought faded over the last two weeks - seemed darker than ever in the dull light of the captain's room. Even still, the look he was giving Trep was not rejection - just quiet curiosity. 

"I heard you shout," Trep explained, tightening his fingers in Addison's shirt and tugging the human just a hair or two closer. "Figured I should make sure you weren't fighting any more mirrors in there."

"No mirrors. Just a nightmare," Addison responded - though he offered no further explanation. Instead, he stepped back - Trep let the fabric slip from his fingers as the human moved - and turned back for the room. He made no move to close the door behind him and, after a moment, Trep took it for the invitation it must be. He stepped into the captain's quarters and triggered the door to shut behind him. Without the light of the hallway, the room dulled further still - although hardly an issue for his own vision. 

"A nightmare, hm?" Trep asked - a human concept not unfamiliar to him, even if he'd never experienced one himself. "Dreaming of me, Captain?" It'd meant to be a tease - an attempt to ease the tension from Addison's shoulders and draw the human into a contest of wills that was likely to end with them tangled up on the bed or floor. To his surprise, though, Addison looked away as he crossed back to his bed and sat on the edge of it. 

"Ah," Trep said, watching the human with a tilt of his head. There was a heartbeat of silence, in which Trep considered how there would have been a time not long ago when the idea of giving _Captain Red_ nightmares would have been satisfying. In this moment, though, he didn't particularly enjoy it - there were so many other, _better_ things he could give the captain. 

"Did you want to discuss it?" Trep asked, because it felt like he should, but the words felt awkward and heavy on his tongue. He would have listened, regardless - but was thankful when Addison's response was negative. 

"No." Still, the short refusal left Trep uncertain as to what to do next. There was no room in Addison's discomfort for banter, and without it, Trep was left floundering for what to say. Which was an unfamiliar and unwelcome feeling and he was half considering just _leaving_ when Addison finally looked at him again. Trep lifted an eyebrow when the human patted the bed next to him with a hand. 

"Just - come here, would you?" Addison asked. Thinking the night might be saved yet, Trep crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. Sure enough, he'd only just settled down when Addison slung himself over the Impostor and straddled his lap - hands coming up to rest on either side of Trep's face. It was a surprise - but a welcome one, and Trep's body responded without hesitation. He laid his own hands on Addison's hips - ducking them beneath that sleepwear just as he'd wanted - and squeezed as he gave the human a toothy grin. 

"You won't hear me complain," Trep said, "but is this really the best cure for your nightmares, Addison?" 

"Yes," Addison responded, a soft growl punctuating the word. He pushed at Trep, and the Impostor laid back as requested - although he shifted them about so they were actually parallel to the bed. Addison trailed his hands down along Trep's own protective undershirt - then brought them to rest against Trep's hands. He intertwined their fingers, then pried Trep's off of his hips. Trep lifted an eyebrow when Addison pressed their hands into the bed. 

"Hands to yourself," Addison said, a hint of command slipping into his voice. 

"What?" Trep asked, a brief laugh of surprise slipping from him. 

"You heard me," Addison said. He hinged at the waist to lean over Trep, his hands leaving the Impostor's in order to return to their gentle stroking along Trep's chest and neck. "Think you can handle that, Impostor?" 

With a grin, Trep moved his hands up and twined them casually under his head. _"I_ can handle that just fine," he retorted, "but we'll see how long it takes before you're begging me to touch you, Captain." Trep still wasn't entirely sure what to make of Addison's sudden about-face, but decided he cared very little when the human brought their mouths together in a fevered kiss. 

In the end, it _had_ been Trep who had been unable to resist bringing up his claws and raking them along Addison's back. When the human tried to tease him about his lack of control, though, Trep had happily pointed out that it'd been Addison who'd immediately cum from the attention. 

As they so often did, they ended up a tangled and tired mess of limbs and appendages when all was said and done. For all his bluster and fervor, Addison went quiet again as they cooled down. After some time, Trep began to carefully extract himself - he'd pushed himself up slightly and the words about Addison needing his sleep were at his tongue, when he felt the human grasp onto his wrist. 

Trep looked down at Addison - but the human refused to look back at him. Addison's hold on Trep's wrist was weak - it'd withdraw immediately if Trep so much as shifted his arm. Addison would not be asking anything with words - if Trep refused, they'd likely never so much as hint at this moment ever again. 

The stakes were low. If Trep left now, he doubted much would change at all. Addison would remain a willing partner, their trysts would remain fevered and satisfying. They could continue to ignore the conversations they needed to have - Trep could continue to pretend that Addison was little more than a plaything that changed nothing. 

If Trep stayed, though, _everything_ would change. 

For a long few minutes, Trep barely dared to move. Until finally, with a soft sigh aimed mostly at himself, Trep laid back down and shifted a hand to press against Addison's chest and pull the human flush against him. He felt the tension bleed out of Addison, and with a soft hum, Trep once again wrapped a number of his tentacles around the human - seeking, this time, not to stimulate but to simply embrace. They settled into a new, strange, but not altogether unpleasant sort of quiet. Trep half expected the human to fall asleep - but Addison's breathing stayed steady. 

Eventually, the silence was shattered by Addison speaking. "I dreamt that you attacked a member of my crew, and I stood there and did nothing to stop you."

"Give yourself a little credit," Trep responded after only a second, slipping a hand a little lower to idly scratch at Addison's abdomen. "You'd never stand by and let an Impostor pick at your crew. You never have."

"Sometimes I can't help but feel as if that's exactly what I've done."

"You haven't," Trep pointed out, "Even now, I've no doubt you'd try to strong-arm me into the airlock if another crewmate came up dead. If your nightmare were to come true, you'd no doubt find the strength to kill me with your own two hands, right then and there."

"As if you'd let me," Addison muttered. Trep pressed his grin into the skin of the human's neck. 

"You'd still try." 

Addison was quiet for a few seconds, and then he rolled in place until he was facing Trep. His eyes were dark in contemplation and the lines of his face were tinged with self-doubt and uncertainty. 

"You say that, but here we are," Addison said, and there was bemusement there, too. "Here _I_ am. Fully aware of the things you've done. Full of memories of the people _you_ killed. That you've made me - I let myself believe you, instead of Yellow. I sent an innocent man out to his death."

"He would have died regardless," Trep said, watching as a tentacle lazily stroked at Addison's cheek. "The same would have been true for you. You would not have gotten me out of that airlock - by believing me, you simply insured your own survival. Yes, the answer was yours, but it was far more complicated than right or wrong - most questions and answers are, you know."

"This still feels like it should be the wrong one. Choosing you, over my crew."

"I understand the feeling." Trep said - _traitor,_ his thoughts briefly reminded him. He pushed them away with a breath and tightened his hold on Addison. "Don't think of it as choosing me over your crew. Think of it as preventing the deaths of your current batch. Call it taming the beast. Whatever phrasing soothes you."

"That's a whole lot more selfless than I feel right now."

"It's true, all the same."

"Is it?" Addison asked. His gaze became sharp and critical as it roamed over Trep's face. _"Have_ I prevented the deaths of my crew?" 

Trep considered the question for a long moment - he thought of White, and how it'd only been the _thought_ of Addison that'd stayed his hand. It _had_ come to that, hadn't it? No matter what he told himself, the truth was that, for the moment at least, Trep cared more about staying in Addison's good graces than he did about his mission. The pain of that truth made him expel a self-deprecating laugh as Trep pressed his forehead to Addison's. 

"Yes. I've no intention of killing anyone on this ship."

"Why?" 

"For your sake - and your sake alone, Addison. So don't take my answer and try to twist it into compassion that doesn't exist," Trep answered in warning. Addison's nod was brief, and he seemed nonplussed by the answer. 

"So what of the future, then?" 

"I can't make any promises for the future, and I'd rather you didn't ask me to," Trep answered, "I have a job to do. People counting on me. Just as you do. Once we're separated, I'll have to get back to it."

"So this is temporary."

"By the nature of our jobs, it has to be. Unless you're suggesting we give up our careers?" Addison was quiet for a few seconds after Trep's light jab. It hardly needed to be said - Trep knew Addison's answer as well as he knew his own. 

"I've worked hard to get here," Addison finally said. 

"As have I. I don't know why the universe has seen fit to keep throwing us together, but the chance of it happening a fourth time seems very slim. If we _do_ ever find ourselves back together, it's likely that, by then, there will be more blood on my hands. I doubt you'll be able to ignore it."

"Right." Addison went quiet again, and this time the silence stretched on for a while. Trep let it - gave the human time to process, to decide how he felt about Trep's obvious intent to go on to kill more of his fellows. He mostly expected Addison to finally call it off - a part of Trep even expected the human to turn on him, to finally get rid of the Impostor in order to prevent the inevitable deaths of crews beyond his own. 

Trep didn't miss the oddity that, for once, his first response to that thought wasn't the assumption that he'd win against the human. Instead he wondered, for only a brief second, how hard he'd actually fight. 

When Addison suddenly shifted to press his groin pointedly against Trep's thigh - pulling the Impostor harshly from his thoughts - Trep looked at the human in surprise. Despite the flush creeping once more across his cheeks, Addison's gaze was serious and questioning. Like Trep, the human was prepared to be denied. 

"If it's destined to end, is there any harm in enjoying it while we can?" Addison asked. Without a word of warning, Trep tightened every appendage he had wrapped around the human and rolled until Addison was pinned beneath him. 

"None," Trep answered, before he burrowed his face in the crook of Addison's neck and bit at the human's tender skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW, I have a Tumblr where I always post links to my works. Feel free to come bug me [there!](http://pyroweasel.tumblr.com)


	7. Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the Skeld is reassigned as backup, things change once again - far earlier than Trep had prepared for.

The next month passed in relative quiet - which was an unusual sensation for Trep. Generally, by this point things would be ramped up - a good portion of the crew would be dead, the remaining lot would be at each other's throats, and Trep would be finalizing the plans and contingencies for the end of his mission. Instead, the Skeld simply continued its path through the stars as the crew gathered their data and performed their daily tasks and _bonded._

Trep stayed well clear of that - he had Addison and exactly zero interest in forming any other connections. It made Trep itchy, somehow, to coexist with a group of humans he had no intention of killing. Not to mention, of course, his constant state of dissatisfaction that came from only MREs to sustain him. Still, it was manageable - especially with Addison's help. 

Overall, things were calm and almost boring - so Trep wasn't sure what to make of Addison's strange discontent at that morning's meeting. It was subtle, of course, but Trep could still see it - Addison's hands were clasped behind his back, his shoulders were tense, and he kept looking towards the cafeteria doorways, more impatient than usual for the rest of the crew to arrive. Once they finally had, Addison took a deep and bracing breath before he spoke. 

"We've been reassigned," He announced, and every one of them straightened - Trep included. "The Polus settlement has had a string of recent incidents that indicate Impostor activity and they're requesting backup. We have been designated as that backup."

Polus. Trep had been on plenty of flight missions, but he'd never been on the well-known human colony. It was a death trap - and generally Impostors were only sent there for punishment or as volunteers when the situation was dire. Although there were ships available, the likelihood of escape was low - the humans on the settlement tended to be experienced, and situations exactly like this meant that their number was often replaced faster than Impostors could kill. Polus missions were generally a matter of destroying potentially devastating data and causing as much chaos and fear as possible before being caught and killed. 

Trep was hardly _afraid -_ if nothing else, he could skate by just as he was now. So long as he kept his hands clean, Addison would do his best to keep Trep's identity under wraps. Worst case scenario, _Trep_ would not be content to die on Polus - he felt confident in his ability to escape. So he was not afraid, not even close - but he couldn't pretend to be excited about this change, either. 

The humans were a mixed bag. A few of them seemed thrilled about the abrupt adjustment and chattered about friends or even family that'd once visited Polus. A few seemed more like Trep - not especially nervous but not exactly happy, either. A few others had heard only 'Impostors' and were whispering to each other in clear terror. 

"We're looking at a week and a half or so before we land," Addison continued, causing the group to come back to a tense quiet, "We'll spend that time refreshing our safety protocols and making a plan for this crew specifically. I'm more than willing to listen to anyone who wants to discuss this further - just understand these are orders, and my hands are mostly tied."

Some of the crew stayed behind to discuss the situation with Addison - but Trep stood and left when a few of the others filtered out of the room. He eventually found himself in Navigations, slung casually across the captain's chair, staring out into the stars, and simply thinking. Impostors on Polus meant more of his own kind to deal with - threats to Addison and possibly even to himself, should they figure out what he'd failed to do. Polus also meant more humans, and a high likelihood of more humans like Addison - quick-eyed veterans that could be especially dangerous in groups. 

Trep regretted ever finding his current situation even a little boring. 

"I suppose this complicates things." 

Trep had been deep enough in his thoughts that he hadn't heard Addison enter the room - nor the closing door behind him. So his voice startled the Impostor a little - Trep sat up and turned the chair to face the human. Addison was leaned against the door, arms crossed, the tension still high in his shoulders. He seemed…defensive, somehow, and Trep wasn't entirely sure what to make of that. 

"It's a complicated situation," Trep slowly agreed as he tapped his fingers against his knee, "Given it's the settlement, and they're calling for backup, I'd expect at least two of my own to be there. They -" He stopped, all at once aware of just what he was doing. What he was saying. Addison or not, there were certain things that shouldn't be said aloud to the humans. With a soft huff, Trep got to his feet. 

"They what?" Addison asked, and Trep shook his head in response. 

"Nevermind. The point is, you'll need to be watchful. Careful. You're too clever by half, Addison - you'll quickly become a target. No matter what I said - they wouldn't understand, regardless."

"I'll be cautious, but you understand there will be expectations. I'm a Captain - I'll have to meet with their leadership, I'll likely be asked to lead patrols." Addison paused and took a breath. When he spoke again, he sounded strained - as if it was taking more force than usual for him to maintain his calm. "Besides, I'm sure there will be expectations of you, too."

"They'll expect my assistance," Trep agreed in a mutter. Loyalty among Impostors on a job was a limited thing - the mission, of course, was expected to come above all. Trep was also not _selfless -_ and his own well-being had always been his second concern following the mission. Still, assistance among themselves was expected as much as it could be managed - and for an opportunity like this, he'd be expected to do what he could to help his fellows and demoralize Polus. 

Trep understood, rather suddenly, why this change had made him feel so unsettled. In the quiet moments when he was alone, Trep thought often about the inevitable end of the exploratory mission. He thought of the expectation that end brought - the words he and Addison had exchanged. The reminder was always uncomfortable, but easy enough to push away - after all, there'd always been time. Months of time, yet, before they'd arrive on Earth and would have to part. 

This move to Polus, though, brought things to a fork much more abruptly. He'd have to make a choice - and hadn't he already? Hadn't they already talked about this? Trep looked over at Addison, and then crossed the room to join the human. He laid a hand against the door just above Addison's shoulder, then leaned forward to look down at him. Addison's helmet tilted as he looked up in return. 

"Are you going to warn them, Captain?" Trep quietly asked. 

"I should," Addison responded, "are you going to help them?" 

"I should," Trep muttered. With a light sigh, he leaned down until their visors tapped together. "It's the right thing to do." Addison's response was a wordless murmur of agreement. Silence filled the space behind it, and they stood that way for a long, long moment. The thought that it'd be easier for everyone if Trep killed Addison right then fluttered briefly by, but Trep paid it no mind. He was long past doing anything of the sort - if Addison did decide to reveal him, Trep would simply have to deal with the problem then. 

"I need to get our course charted," Addison finally said as he pushed himself from the wall. Before he could fully duck around Trep, though, the Impostor brought his other hand up and cupped it around the side of Addison's neck - so much as the man's suit would allow. He squeezed, just slightly - and then dropped his hand back down and stepped away. 

"Of course." 

Addison nodded, then stepped slightly around Trep in order to make his way to the Navigations console. He sat and began to fiddle with the controls. Trep watched for a long minute or two and then, wordlessly, slipped from the room and made his way down the hallway. He heard Addison speak - but didn't hear what the human said, and didn't go back to find out. 

* * *

As time ticked closer to their landing on Polus, things between Trep and Addison grew more and more strained. Through some unspoken agreement, they hardly spoke to each other. When they did, they were calm - there was no anger between them - but they no longer came together in the way Trep had grown so fond of. There were no more late night conversations or those things that usually came after - as if they were trying to force themselves back to being only crewmate and captain.

It left Trep feeling jittery and angry - so by the time they arrived on Polus, Trep was desperate for _something_ to change. Unfortunately, stepping onto the soil of the settlement was a stark reminder that things very well may have changed for the worst. 

A small Polus detail came to meet the Skeld bunch - Trep stayed back with the rest of his own crewmates as Addison stepped forward to meet a human in a Tan suit. As they spoke, Trep examined the rest of the strangers. They were…well, an average group of humans, so far as he could tell. Trep had the brief thought that it'd be confusing, trying to keep his own crew straight from the same colors on Polus - then reminded himself it didn't really matter. Fodder, the lot of them. 

It took Trep a minute to register Lime, who stood back slightly behind the Polus detail and watched everything with slight movements of his helmet. He was tapping a foot, tapping his fingers against an arm - he stuck out, in Trep's vision, not only for his nervous energy but also the way he was bundled in more warming clothes than the rest of the group. 

The air of Polus _was_ biting - Trep was quickly cooling himself, and Impostors ran cooler than humans to begin with. Trep would have to get closer before he could be sure, but in that moment he felt confident that Lime was one of his own. 

"Good evening, Skeld crew," Tan suddenly called, pulling Trep's attention back to the humans. Tan stepped around Addison to address the group. "Welcome to Polus. We have prepared a set of crew's quarters for you - for the rest of today, we recommend you get your bearings. Come morning meeting, you will be given your assigned duties. Captain Red has assured me you've been well briefed on safety protocol, so I won't step on his toes there - but I will remind you to stay wary. We are currently uncertain of the extent of our Impostor infiltration."

The Skeld crew exchanged looks - it was nothing they weren't already aware of. Over the past week plus, Addison had been briefing them with every ounce of information he could garner - and the crew already had their own order to stick together as much as possible. They, Addison had warned more than once, were the only ones they could really trust. 

"If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your quarters," Tan continued, before he turned and began to walk away. The Skeld crew, almost as one, looked to Addison - and only followed after once he'd given them a nod. Trep trailed behind at the end, putting him in place to pass by Lime briefly as the two crews passed one another. The scent was brief, but telling. 

Just as Trep had thought, Lime was one of Polus's Impostors. 

* * *

Trep attempted to hunt the other Impostor down once he could slip away from the others, but quickly found that Polus was considerably bigger than any vessel he'd ever been aboard. It was easy to get turned around - and his times outside of the buildings were quick and hurried. It was so _cold -_ how the hell were humans thriving in a place that cold? 

Trep eventually found himself in a small room, tucked in the back corner of the Oxygen facility. The room was mostly empty, save for a giant tree growing in the middle and the various machinery dedicated to keeping it alive. Grass grew beneath his feet, and the Impostor was impressed despite himself - the frigid soil and volcanic ash had to make growing anything on Polus difficult. That the humans had grown all of this - well, they were an inventive bunch, he'd give them that. 

"Who sent you here?" A voice hissed suddenly, and Trep glanced towards the ragged hole in the corner of the room. A second later, Lime's head slipped out from the very same hole - followed quickly by the rest of his body. He stood, a few heads shorter than Trep, and crossed his arms. "I didn't call for any assistance."

"I wasn't sent here - the humans were," Trep said as he sized up the other Impostor, "I've just been pulled along for the ride."

"So, what, you're not going to help?" 

"Half a second ago you didn't seem to want my help," Trep responded, feeling a twinge of humor at the way Lime bristled. "Frankly, I'm undecided. Everyone knows Polus is a suicide mission - I'm not particularly thrilled about getting mixed up with that."

"It's not a suicide mission," Lime hissed, "I'm going to kill off the whole base, and then I'm going home."

"Careful, there's a fine line between self-confidence and cockiness," Trep said, unable to resist taunting the other a bit, "The universe is working against you. You not only have what's left on Polus to contend with, but the rest of the Skeld crew, too. It's a losing battle."

"That's not my fault," Lime retorted, "why's so much of your crew left? Why haven't you killed more of them?" 

"Because this detour has destroyed my entire plan," Trep lied easily, "these things take time -" 

"That's idiotic. How long could a simple ship take? You could probably cut through a majority of them in a few minutes -" 

"How long have you been out of academy?" Trep interrupted snappishly, ire rising at the other Impostor's tone. "If you believe it's that easy and quick, it can't have been long." Lime didn't respond at first, but when he finally did it was with an annoyed huff. 

"I didn't finish," he admitted, his voice stiff, "I was sent here after a fight got out of hand."

"You killed a fellow trainee?" 

"We _fought -_ he succumbed to his injuries later. It wasn't intentional!" 

"Hm." A criminal then, if only by technicality. Lime claimed it was an accident, but Trep knew The Authority was hardly _unreasonable._ Likely, it'd been the end of a long list of complaints about the young Impostor. Trep could imagine - Lime's nervous energy from before and his current assessment of the speed killing a crew took told Trep that the younger man was impatient. Trigger-happy. It wasn't the first time Trep had ever dealt with a partner like that. They didn't usually last long. 

This time, however, was also the first time Trep had someone else's well-being to worry over. No matter what he said about responsibility or his career, it wasn't an instinct he could just turn _off,_ now. Regardless of where their paths would take them, Trep did not relish the idea of Addison dying - and the more he spoke to Lime, the more he worried after the human. 

"Well, the fact they called for backup must mean you're doing something right," Trep said, allowing the previous subject to drop, "how many humans have you killed?" 

"Six so far," Lime said, agitation clearly forgotten as he puffed his chest out. "And I've only been here a month!" It _was_ impressive, although Trep didn't feel generous enough to say as much out loud. 

"Are you working alone?" Trep asked. 

"Might as well as be," Lime said, and just like that agitation suffused his voice again. "Purple is one of us too, but she's useless. She's always been tentative but now she's gotten enamored with a _human_ and hasn't lifted a finger since."

"Enamored?" 

"They're in _love,"_ Lime practically spat, bristling all over again. "It's ridiculous. She even tried to tell me Yellow was off-limits - and now Purple always makes sure Yellow is never alone. Frankly, even if I did kill the woman, I'm not so sure Purple wouldn't throw me under the bus. At any rate - she's no help at all. No better than _them."_

"I see," Trep muttered. 

"Anyway. If you do decide to deign yourself enough to help, watch what you do," Lime continued, and it was Trep's turn to bristle under the tone. "I've got a system, and I don't want some newcomer fucking it up."

"I've far more experience than _you,_ Newbie," Trep growled slightly, but Lime didn't rise to the challenge. Instead, the other Impostor gave Trep a smug smirk. 

"Not here you don't, _Newbie."_ Lime taunted. "See you later - hope you don't turn out as useless as Purple." Trep stepped towards the younger Impostor - but Lime turned and slipped back into the hole with ease, all but vanishing from the room. Trep stared after him, furious heat building in his veins. It gave him the strangest sensation of wanting to claw out of his skin. 

Not an unfamiliar feeling, and before he'd even made the conscious decision to do so, Trep found himself prowling away in search of his surefire fix. 

* * *

By the time Trep tracked down Addison, he was in a foul sort of mood. The search hadn't helped - between his musings on Lime and the bitter cold of the settlement, Trep's agitation had only grown. When he scented Addison and quickly realized that the human was standing in Admin _alone,_ Trep felt his fury boil over. It was almost torture to wait a few heartbeats, nestled in a hole, but Trep forced himself to do so, just to be absolutely sure Addison was actually alone. As soon as he felt confident, Trep slipped from the hole, rounded the corner, and practically jumped Addison. 

The man had his back to the doorway, and had to throw both hands against the Admin desk to keep them from falling as Trep latched onto him. The Impostor allowed a few of his extra appendages to slip loose, then brought every one of them around to encircle Addison and squeeze him tightly. 

"Where does being _alone_ fit into being _cautious,_ Addison?" Trep all but snarled. Addison let out a heavy breath, and the relief in its depths did little to ease Trep's ire. "Do you even realize how lucky you are that it _is_ me? What if I'd been one of the others? You'd already be dead!" 

"Tan only left a couple of minutes ago," Addison responded, "Frankly, I also assumed you were lurking somewhere nearby."

"I've only been _nearby_ for a minute or two," Trep told him, "what if you'd been attacked in the meantime? What if they'd gone right for your throat, making it so you couldn't scream? You'd have been dead before any of us knew better - what use is that clever fucking head of yours if you're not going to _use it?"_ Addison didn't respond for a long few seconds, only letting out a soft _oof_ as Trep tightened his hold tighter still. 

"I'm sorry," Addison finally said, and when Trep huffed at that he continued, "I _am._ The others haven't been gone long and I did truly believe you were near, but all the same - you're right, I wasn't thinking. You've my word that I won't make a habit of it. Honestly, I only wanted to give you a chance to approach me, if you wanted to." He paused again, then let out a soft breath. He brought his hands up and laid them over a couple of Trep's tentacles. "I was hoping you would."

"Stupid," Trep hissed, although some of the bite in his voice had faded. He leaned down a bit more to press his face into the crook of Addison's shoulder. Even through the suit, the human was warm - practically a heating pad against the chill of Polus's air. Trep relaxed his hold, only a little, as he half-melted against Addison's back. 

"Trep -" 

"I hate this place," Trep interrupted, "it's freezing - there's too many humans - the only Impostor bothering to do anything is an untrained idiot. It's stupid - and I'm not going to kill myself helping a suicide mission. _I_ wasn't sent here, it's not my problem." He paused, then growled softly. "It's dangerous. You need me. Especially if you're going to be pulling stunts like this."

"Have some faith in me," Addison said with a soft laugh. He reached up, unclasped his helmet, and set it aside. Then, he turned in place - struggling a bit to manage it with the strength of Trep's grip. Once he had, Addison reached up and took Trep's face in his hands. 

"I do need you, though," Addison murmured, "I won't argue with that." 

"I'm still angry with you," Trep rumbled low, telling himself it was absolutely a growl and nothing else. Addison rubbed his thumbs along Trep's cheeks, and the Impostor could tell the human was straining not to smile. 

"I know," Addison responded in his own low, quiet voice. "Want to show me how much?" 

"Yes," Trep hissed. It was a serious matter - and if Trep ever caught Addison being so careless again, he'd rip the human a new one. For the moment, though, he was willing to allow Addison to siphon his ire away. 

Wanted it, in fact. 

Without another word, and with no resistance from the Impostor, Addison pulled Trep's head down into a fierce, biting kiss that, after a week plus of strain, was more satisfying than any kill. 


	8. Stretching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They get to know Polus a little better - but a firsthand experience with the present dangers puts more than a little strain on their relationship.

As it turned out, Tan - or Lieutenant Tan, as it were - was the closest thing to leadership Polus had. He was head of security, a position that had little actual authority most of the time - but when Polus's captain had been slain and her second-in-command killed in accusation, Tan had become all the group had left. Addison attempted to work _with_ Tan - but in the end, his rank as Captain far exceeded the other's, and Addison quickly established himself as the final decision maker. 

The Polus crew seemed relieved, which Trep thought said a lot about Tan's leadership skills. 

That very first morning, Addison implemented an amped up version of his buddy system for use on Polus. Any one group would have three or four members, instead of the usual two, and that would always include two Skeld crewmates. The Skeld crew would keep to their usual partners, while the Polus crew would rotate daily through partners and an assigned Skeld pair. Trep thought it was a clever use of a usually barely-functional system - it was far from fool-proof and it provided no guarantee, but it would make Lime's job considerably more difficult. 

Especially given neither Trep nor Purple would be lifting a finger to help the other Impostor. 

Trep was hesitant to take Lime's assessment of Purple at face value, but it wasn't long before he had the opportunity to talk to her himself. She didn't give him much of a choice - when she and Yellow ended up partnered with him and Addison a few days into this new mission, Purple took the first chance she got to practically corner Trep. Addison and Yellow were working together to heft and fill some portable water tanks in the small, closed room to the south of them, and Purple took the opportunity to push Trep into a wall near the Polus Tree and point a finger against his visor. 

"Yellow is off-limits," Purple hissed with no preamble at all, "if you so much as try to lay a hand on her, I'll get you shoved in that lava so quick you'll be a crisp before you even realize."

"Right," Trep drawled. He straightened and shoved her away - despite the fact she was a few inches taller than him, she moved back easily enough. "You'd have a difficult time convincing my crew - it's far more likely _you'd_ end up in flames."

"Fine, then let me rephrase," Purple snarled, "Hurt Yellow, and I won't bother to wait for the crew to vote you off."

Trep studied the other Impostor, and after a few seconds chuckled. She tensed in return, and Trep held up both hands in a causal gesture. "Oh relax, would you? I’m not going to bother her. I’ve got plenty of problems of my own to be dealing with, thank you.”

“What, just like that?” Purple asked, and his reassurance hadn’t done much for her tension - he didn’t blame her for her disbelief, although he couldn't stop the slight roll of his eyes. 

“Just like that. I wasn’t assigned here, and Polus is not my problem.”

"Everything alright in here?" Speaking of said 'problems to be dealing with,' Addison stepped into the Tree room, and his helmet moved minutely as he glanced between the two Impostors. Yellow stood slightly to Addison’s side, but her eyes were on Purple only - and Purple was looking back. They exchanged the smallest of nods - something Trep filed into the back of his mind as he looked towards Addison. 

Even through their helmets, Trep could feel the calculation in the man’s gaze. So, in response, he gave Addison a glib, two-fingered salute. 

"Just peachy, Captain."

Addison hummed, hesitated, and then gestured with a thumb over his shoulder. “Then come make yourselves useful and help us with these jugs. We need to take a couple to the office water cooler.”

"Right! Sorry, Captain," Purple said, ducking her head slightly as she headed in the direction he pointed. Trep watched as Yellow turned to walk in unison with the other Impostor - some whisper carried on the wind, but Trep couldn't make out what'd actually been said. Addison turned slightly to watch them go as well - and then looked to Trep once more, the question at his tongue obvious.

"Mind your business," Trep said cheerfully as he also moved to pass by the human. He paused to slap his hand on top of Addison’s helmet - and blinked when Addison reached up and snatched his hand in return. Trep tilted his head when Addison squeezed. He studied the human for a quiet moment, then let out a slight breath. 

“I highly doubt you have to worry about Purple,” Trep relented, “although I don’t recommend growing complacent, either.” 

"You're not going to tell me who I _should_ worry about, though, are you?" 

Trep's first instinct was to be glib with his answer - but he bit it back and went quiet instead. The human wasn't wrong to ask - if Trep insisted on choosing Addison over his own, then it only made sense to forewarn the captain about Lime. It'd be easy - Trep could tell him right then, and they could get Lime out of the way, and neither of them would have to worry anymore. 

"That's a lot to ask," Trep finally responded, instead. It was all that he could say - the warning stuck in his throat, a step further then he was ready to go. It was one thing to be attached to Addison - to refuse to help Lime - to plan on actively stopping the other Impostor from hurting the captain. 

It still felt like an entirely different thing to out the other Impostor to a human, though. Even if that human was Addison. 

"Alright," Addison responded after a long beat of silence. He lowered their hands, but gave Trep's another squeeze before letting go. "You get to carry the water jug alone, though."

"You just want to see me show off," Trep answered quickly, awkwardly - but the tension uncoiled in his chest as the subject was dropped. 

"Don't flatter yourself," Addison said as he began to move after Purple and Yellow, "I just don't see the point in risking my back when you can handle it without breaking a sweat."

* * *

As the day ticked on, Purple seemed content to stay plastered to Yellow's side. Trep very much doubted the human needed _that_ much help organizing specimens, but it wasn't Trep's place to point it out. Addison didn't seem to care to draw attention to it, either, even though it meant Purple took considerably longer to complete her own tasks. 

He admittedly didn’t try all that hard, but Trep couldn’t understand Purple’s attachment to Yellow. He knew it was somewhat hypocritical, but still, Addison was self-confident, and bold, and clever. Yellow was clever enough herself - she was quick and competent with her maintenance on the seismic detection system, and more than once Trep had overheard her discussing intricate mechanical workings in an undertone to Purple - but she was also almost constantly on edge. Nervous. Addison’s watchfulness was borderline paranoid as well, but Trep could only tell because he knew the human - meanwhile _anyone_ could have seen how jumpy Yellow was. Strange noises - especially those produced by nearby machinery - never failed to badly startle her. If either Trep or Addison got too close to her without her realizing, she was quick to hurry away from them and press close to Purple. If Trep _had_ been on the hunt, she would have been an easy kill - he wondered if she realized that. 

Probably not. The nervous ones usually didn’t. 

It was in fact Yellow's brief cry of alarm, later that same day, that first clued Trep into their sudden situation. He only noticed the dullness in their environment once he'd focused in an attempt to figure out what had startled Yellow. 

The lights had gone out. 

For only a second, Yellow grasped out blindly - but she was quickly swept into a protective hold in Purple's arms. The other Impostor turned her attention to Trep with a glare, and he looked back at her blandly until his attention was pulled away by a slight catch at his sleeve. Trep looked to his side to find Addison resting a hand on his arm while the human’s free hand fiddled for the flashlight at his belt.

"Yellow, Purple, are you alright?" Addison asked as he flicked his flashlight on and pointed it in their direction. 

"We're fine, Captain," Purple answered. 

"Good. Stay close - I suppose we should head for the fuse box in Electrical, see what we’re working with. Hopefully it’s an easy fix.” 

"Wait! Please, just…wait. I-I can't," Yellow's refusal was almost loud, and she winced as she tightened her hold on Purple. "Captain, I'm sorry, but please, I don't want to go there. I'm not…I can't…"

"Captain Orange was slain in Electrical," Purple added stiffly, before either of the others could respond, "Yellow was the one who found her. It was…it was gruesome."

"I understand," Addison said, and there was a gentle undercurrent in his voice that said he really did, "But I need to be there, and I don’t want to leave you two on your own."

"They'll be fine," Trep interjected. When Addison glanced his way, Trep tilted his head just slightly. "Trust me on this, Captain." Addison didn't respond for a beat, and then he nodded with a slight breath. He squared his shoulders and turned his attention back to the women. 

"Alright. Okay. Go to the meeting table and wait," Addison commanded, "if anything has gone wrong, a meeting will be called anyway. Watch your backs. Call for assistance if you need it. If anyone tries to give you shit about why you’re there, don’t engage - I’ll deal with them when we’re finished. Cyan, let’s go.” 

They left Purple and Yellow as the other Impostor worked on ushering the human out of the room and towards the office. For Addison and Trep, it was a quick, cold, tense walk to Electrical - but they hadn’t even made it to the door of the building when Trep smelled the carnage. He snagged at Addison’s shoulder as soon as he did, and the man stopped in place as he turned his head to look at Trep questioningly. Trep took a few seconds to get a read on the area - then only spoke once he was sure that Lime had definitely moved on.

“Brace yourself,” Trep warned Addison before he let the human go once more. It was all that needed to be said, and Addison's movements became slower and more careful as they continued into Electrical proper. As they moved into the room, Addison didn't have to move his flashlight much to illuminate the scene. The kill had been quick and messy - blood splattered nearly every surface of the room, and Trep spotted slivers of brown-colored suit among the dismembered gore. 

"I can't tell, the lights -" 

"Polus's Brown," Trep filled the human in, "I can see bits of the suit." He reached over and grabbed Addison's hand in order to point it towards the ground in front of the fuse box - where the majority of what remained of Brown's body lay. Addison drew in a quick, hard breath, and suddenly Trep wondered if he'd been too rash in showing the human the worst of it. 

"Get the lights," Addison said, though, and when he spoke his voice was level, if more than a little stiff. Trep moved for the fuse box without answer and began to flip the fuses back to rights as Addison made the announcement through the Comms. 

A majority of the crew came to Electrical, first - which Trep supposed made sense. Better to see the body yourself, see if there were any hints or clues, and get a glimpse at those who'd reported it to be sure they weren't acting oddly. Once there, though, the crew's chatter quickly devolved to panicked bickering and blame. Tan didn't seem inclined to stop them, and in fact had plenty to say himself. It surprised Trep, though, that it took Addison a few long, tense moments to put a stop to it himself. 

"Enough," Addison finally said - the word snapping like a whip into the air, quieting the group immediately. "Everyone to the Office - we can discuss this further there." There was no argument. As a group - albeit a flighty, tense group - the crew turned away from Electrical and made their way for the office. 

When they saw Purple and Yellow already in the office, the tension in the group noticeably grew. 

"Where were you two?" Tan practically barked as he took an immediate and aggressive step towards the two women. Purple pushed Yellow back in response, and likely would have ripped the human a new one - if not for Addison’s interruption. 

"They were with us when the lights went down," he said, "I told them to come here and wait for us."

“If they’re Impostors, that would have given them enough time to get to Electrical,” Tan began, but his accusation was cut short by Addison. The captain took a step closer to Tan, and even though Tan had a few inches and even more weight on Addison, it was Tan that pulled back - even if it was only a small, subtle movement.

"They had nothing to do with this," Addison asserted. “They were only following my orders. Understood, Lieutenant?” 

"I'm sorry," Yellow spoke up - stopping the undoubtedly insubordinate answer Tan was building. As everyone’s attention went to her, she wrung her hands together and turned her head away. "After Captain Orange, I just…I couldn't…I couldn’t go. Purple stayed with me the whole time. We've been here since we left Captain Red and Cyan." 

Tan looked from her to Addison a number of times, until he huffed a frustrated breath, turned, and plopped into a spot at the table. Yellow slumped back slightly and pressed against the arm Purple still had around her shoulders. Her demeanor was reflected in much of the crew as they took their places at the table. Addison was the only one who didn't sit - stood, instead, at a center spot in the table. As everyone settled in and waited for what would be next, Addison swept his gaze over each of them. 

“Did anyone see, hear, or notice anything suspicious?” Addison asked, “anything at all, no matter how small - sometimes, it’s the smallest clues that lead to finding an Impostor.” 

“Yeah,” Tan answered, “Purple and Yellow, sitting here in the office while we all were staring at Brown’s corpse!”

“Does anyone have any _useful_ information?” Trep drawled in return, and when Tan looked in his direction, Trep smirked. Undoubtedly, Tan couldn’t see it - but the way he stiffened told Trep he’d sensed it.

“Enough,” Addison said, and it was the thread of weariness in his voice that held Trep’s tongue. “Purple and Yellow are clear, as I've already said. Anything else? Anything at all?” When Tan made as if to speak, Addison shot a hand up warningly. “Not from you, unless it’s something besides this business about Purple and Yellow. Anyone else?” 

There was nothing. Brown’s buddy had been Pink - but Pink had been downloading data near the Polus Tree. White and Black vouched for them - Black admitting, with clear shame, that when lights went out they’d lost Brown and had decided that staying in their group of three was more important than possibly getting separated in search of their wayward crewmate. Everyone else seemed certain their buddies had been nearby during the blackout - how Lime had managed to maintain that illusion, Trep wasn’t sure.

It likely had something to do with his partners being Green and Blue. Trep had never had a high opinion about the two mens' combined intelligence. Or work ethic. 

As answers continued to elude the group, Addison all at once pressed his fingers against his visor with a sigh. The table grew quiet once more as they all watched him - Trep’s eyes roaming over his entire form, searching for and recognizing familiar signs of stress. 

“Unless you have a critical task left, I want everyone back to their quarters for the rest of the evening.” Addison said a tense moment later, “Grab food on the way and eat there. Groups will need to be readjusted - but I need to think it over. I’ll have fresh orders for you come morning. Cyan and I will see to Brown’s body. You’re all dismissed.” 

“Now hold on a minute, Captain, that can’t be it -” Tan began to argue. 

“We have no answers, Lieutenant,” Addison interrupted sharply, _“I_ will not send a crewmate to their death without clear evidence. You’re _dismissed.”_

Tan looked like he wanted to argue more - looked like he had a _lot_ to say, in fact. Surprisingly, though, he seemed to bite his tongue. 

“Understood,” Tan said stiffly instead, and then he stood. As if his movement had broken a spell, the rest began to stand as well. Trep stayed where he was - watched, just as Addison did, as the crew filtered out of the room. Once they were gone, Addison leaned forward, pressed his hands into the table, and let out a heavy sigh. After a few seconds, Trep stood and made to move closer - but Addison spoke again before he had. 

“Let’s go,” he said as straightened back up, then turned to leave the room. If he'd noticed Trep's approach, he didn't comment on it. “We need to get him cleaned up.” 

Once they’d made their way back to Electrical, Addison stood in the room and looked at Brown’s remains for a long, long few minutes. Trep wasn’t sure what to say, or offer, or even do - so he simply stood as well. He stood, and he waited, and he tried to ignore just how tantalizing the room’s scents were. 

“Poor soul,” Addison finally murmured. He moved first for the bulk of what remained of Brown’s body - then seemed to reconsider, and stepped through the slick gore towards a hand that lay discarded near the wall. He stopped before reaching for it, too, and finally Trep took a step forward. 

“I can make this quicker for you. Easier.” Trep said. He wasn’t being entirely selfless, of course - it’d been ages since he’d had a meal anywhere near so fresh. Still, there’d been some good faith in his offer - so when Addison tensed in response, Trep was caught off guard. 

“Don't even think about it. We need the body,” Addison answered, and there was a warning in his tone that ruffled at Trep’s hackles - even though he wasn’t sure why the human had reacted so aggressively to the suggestion in the first place. 

He hadn’t even _known_ Brown.

"For what?" Trep asked, "Are you going to send _this_ to his family? Addison, it's not unusual for Impostors to take a few bites - even if anyone were to find out there were bits missing, they’d likely just assume it’d happened during the kill. There’d be less for you to clean up, and I’d finally get a bite of something that wasn’t nasty, mostly preserved animal meat -”

"You honestly don't have an ounce of empathy, do you?" Addison suddenly snapped, turning quickly in place to face Trep. Surprised despite himself, Trep’s snapped his mouth closed and took a small half-step back. 

"He was a _person -_ someone who undoubtedly had hopes and dreams and people who cared about him. Dreams that are snuffed out now. People that are _without,_ now. A living person is _dead,_ and all you can think about is whether or not he'd make a good meal. That doesn't make you feel even a smidge of shame?" In the face of Addison's sudden fury, Trep found himself struck in place. His hearts were pounding - and each beat felt painful, as if something had a vice grip wrapped around Trep’s chest. He stared at Addison - and it took a great amount of effort to force himself to speak. 

"I thought you understood better than this, Addison." Trep’s voice was stiff even to his own ears. Addison's response was to turn violently away and shift his attention back to the body at his feet. 

"Either help me, or wait outside," Addison’s voice was frigid as he crouched down. Trep studied his back without response, uncertain what his own reaction would be until he turned around and left the room. 

A small and petty part of him wanted to keep walking, to give Addison all the space he wanted and then some. He'd go watch the other humans, or take a walk, or do anything but stand outside the Electrical door like a scolded, obedient guard dog. 

He didn't know where Lime was, though. For a brief moment, an image of Addison in Brown's place flashed through his mind - and it was the first time that imagining a human dead rolled his stomach instead of primed it. So instead of prowling off, he did exactly as told - he leaned against the wall nearest the door and waited. As Addison made trip after trip, moving what bits of Brown he could recover, Trep followed silently behind. He said nothing more - and Addison kept his gaze pointedly away as he worked. 

The tense silence followed them as Addison finished, and as they finally made their own way to the crew's quarters for the night. It was Trep who moved first past Addison as they entered the room. The Impostor made his way to his own cot - and though he'd heard the start of some word on Addison's tongue, he ignored it. Refused to address it. Instead, Trep bundled himself on his cot and turned his back to the room at large. 

He didn't know what to say - and doubted he could have gotten it out, even if he did. Eventually, he heard Addison make his way to his own cot, and Trep let out a soft hiss as the vice on his hearts tightened.


	9. Taut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a discussion Trep is sure they should have had ages ago - but knowing it needs to happen doesn't make it any easier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **!Smut warning!**
> 
> If that's not your thing, you'll want to stop reading the chapter once Addison starts laughing.

The next day passed in a similarly strained sort of silence - although there was something different in its depths. It was mostly in the way words seemed to dangle on the tip of Addison's tongue - how he went to speak, over and over again, only to inevitably be interrupted by duties or their teammates or Trep's own quick distractions. The Impostor knew it was a discussion they needed to have - one that was, frankly, long overdue. That didn't make it any easier to face, though, and he supposed some part of him hoped that if they put it off long enough things would right themselves without help. 

That they could go back to normal without addressing the Impostor in the room. 

Then, that same evening, Addison looked at him over the meeting table and requested that "Cyan" join him on night patrol. It wasn't as if Trep could say no. At least, not without undermining Addison's authority in front of the entire crew - which was exactly the reason Trep gave himself for not even trying to get out of it. 

It was a weak excuse, but Trep didn't think about it much. 

At first, patrol was no less awkward. They rounded the base in silence for a good long while, doing more than a single lap - and as they went, the tension between them tightened further and further. When finally it broke, as they made their way through the winding halls of the Specimen bay, they found themselves speaking almost in unison. 

"Addison -" 

"I'm sorry."

Trep came to a stop, and turned an uncomprehending look towards the human. Addison’s gaze was calm and difficult to read - there was  _ something  _ in the man’s dark eyes, but Trep couldn’t put a name to it. 

"You what?" Trep asked, sure he'd misheard. 

"I'm sorry. For what I said. My only excuse is that I was angry, and I lashed out - but what I said was callous, and that wasn't my intent."

"What the hell are you - it wasn't  _ callous," _ Trep argued incredulously, "it was honest. It was sensible. Perhaps the most sensible thing you've ever said to me, beyond maybe when you told me you knew I was an Impostor. Not that doing that was particularly sensible, actually…" He trailed off and glanced away. He looked at the wall to his side for a long few seconds before he pulled in a breath, looked to Addison again, and lifted his arms in a slight shrug. 

"I  _ don't _ care, Addison. Or, to put it like you did, no, I don't have an  _ iota  _ of empathy for these sorts of things. I can admit there has been a time or two where I've regretted that a human had to die - but a majority of the time it's just the job. Fuck." He let out a harsh breath. "Most of the time I very much  _ enjoyed  _ it. You are the only human - really, the only  _ person -  _ that I've ever -" He bit the words back with a hard shake of his head. 

"That you've ever what?" Addison asked. 

"It doesn't matter," Trep answered stiffly, "because the point I'm trying to make is that there's no reason to apologize for what you said. You should be embracing it. Probably, you should be saying a hell of a lot more. After all, it's always been inevitable that eventually you'd realize just what sort of monster you've let slither into your bed."

Addison didn't respond immediately, and as the silence ticked by, Trep looked away once more. That suffocating feeling in his chest had come back with a vengeance - not that he was sure it'd ever really left. It was so tight now, though, that it seemed a miracle that his hearts could still pound beneath its grip. 

"Trep, I have never once forgotten." The words should have gutted Trep from the inside out - but somehow, the soft way Addison spoke them kept them from hurting at all. "My experience is so limited compared to yours - and in my limited, human eyes, yes, there are some ways in which you are a monster. The thing is, though, that could be said about a lot of us - some would undoubtedly say it about me, for even entertaining the thought of you."

"You can hardly be blamed for things you can't control -" 

"Please," Addison scoffed, "what, do you think you've somehow enchanted me beyond all rational thought with your evil monster wiles? Do you really believe I haven't sat up, night after night, thinking over this exact question? Do you honestly think that if I had decided that I couldn't stand you - that you were too much a monster for me - that I'd be standing here right now? Give me a little credit."

"Clearly, you just haven't -" Trep was interrupted by Addison as the man grabbed Trep's shoulder, turned him, and pushed him back against the wall. Instinct almost drove Trep to push back - but the heated glare in Addison's eyes pinned him where he stood. 

"Stop. You may think you know me, but you don't live in my head - you haven't seen the way my thoughts have circled and circled and every time have, without fail, come back to  _ you."  _ Addison tightened his fingers, bunching them up in the front of Trep's suit. "In some ways you may be a monster, but you are also  _ more.  _ You must be, or else I would be dead by now. Or the rest of my crew would be. Fuck's sake, Trep, if you were nothing but a monster, this wouldn't be  _ hurting _ you."

Trep thought he should deny it - it felt  _ natural  _ to deny it. He couldn't do it, though, and instead found his hands reaching up to curl around Addison's wrists. Instead of adamantly refusing to admit his hurt, something else entirely came from him. 

"You'll change your mind," Trep said, his voice so quiet it was almost a strain on his vocal cords. Addison’s shoulders loosened a bit at that, and his hands followed suit, releasing Trep a little further. 

"I won't."

"Addison, you can't possibly know the future."

"Neither can you," Addison shot back. He took a breath, and then something careful and unsure curled at his lips. "I get it - that’s fucking terrifying. It is for me too, believe me. I can’t ask you to promise me the dozens of things I want - and there are plenty of things I can’t promise you, either. There's a lot of uncertainty and if we want this to work - to  _ keep  _ working - we'll just have to  _ trust  _ each other." His hands loosened the rest of the way, until his palms were resting against Trep's chest. "That is, if you can forgive me for snapping at you."

Trep studied the human for a long, long minute - the same circular arguments of before dying on his tongue. He still couldn’t shake that  _ knowing  _ that there would come a day when Addison would turn from him for good - and with every day the human  _ didn’t,  _ Trep knew the end would hurt all the more. In a sudden jolt, Trep wondered if that was how Addison felt about  _ him.  _ Did the human have the constant, gnawing feeling that they were just counting down the days until Trep killed again? Trep knew he wouldn’t, though - it might only be for Addison’s sake but that was all the reason he needed to be certain. 

He couldn’t make himself believe wholeheartedly that Addison felt the same about Trep’s worries - but thinking of it like that went a long way to loosening the tightness in the Impostor’s chest. He supposed the rest was up to that  _ trust  _ Addison had mentioned - an admittedly unfamiliar concept that he was far from comfortable with. Still...

He watched Addison and the way the human just waited; calm, collected, and a little worried. It wasn’t overt - just an extra crinkle at the corners of his eyes, a little wariness in the depths of his pupils, an extra pace to his heart. Trust couldn’t possibly come easily to him, either - not with everything he’d seen, everything he’d lived through, everything  _ Trep  _ had put him through. 

If Addison could do it, despite everything, then so could Trep, dammit. A long breath escaped Trep in a rush, and he leaned forward and pressed his forehead to Addison’s. Almost as if he’d been waiting for the chance, Addison immediately slid his hands up and wrapped his arms around Trep’s neck. He tangled the fingers of one hand through Trep’s hair - and his hold was so  _ soft  _ in the moment that Trep thought he should be mortified. All he could manage, though, was to relax a bit further into the human’s hold and just  _ look  _ at him. 

"I likely caused lasting damage to your shoulder, Addison,” Trep muttered, letting out a soft half-laugh of a breath, “I think you're allowed a few harsh words." 

With that, the last of Addison's tension drained, and as it did, Trep found his own fading with it. Addison began to lightly massage Trep's scalp with his fingers, and with a soft rumble, Trep slipped his hands down to wrap his arms tightly around the human. 

"You say that as if that wasn't one of the hottest things you've ever done," Addison said, the next tightening of his fingers vigorous enough to send a thrill through Trep's body. He shifted their faces closer until their noses touched, hummed softly, and after a few seconds, felt a genuine smirk curl at his lips. 

"Right. Sometimes I forget that you're an awfully kinky fuck, Captain." 

Addison's body jolted as he gave a quick, choked cough - which quickly dissolved into a deep, rich laughter. With a hot thrill, Trep immediately latched their lips together - desperate to capture those laughing breaths with his mouth. Addison's laugh petered out quickly enough, but left in its place were burning, bruising kisses and a fierce tightening of the fingers in Trep's hair. 

Addison pressed closer still, pushing Trep's back hard against the wall and bringing their bodies flush together. When Addison suddenly bit at Trep’s lower lip, a thrill shot through the Impostor’s body - and he growled low as the human's tongue slipped into his mouth and began to dance with his own. For a very brief second in time, they were content - and then, almost in unison, they pulled apart only enough to disassemble the restrictive suits keeping them apart, keeping their mouths pressed together as much as they could despite the movement. 

The space between them cooled quickly - but soon enough Addison was pressed against Trep again, and the heat of his bare skin on Trep's own was nearly enough to send the Impostor under. Addison dragged his nails down Trep's sides in long, repetitive strokes, and in that moment it mattered not how dull they were - they still left lines of fire in their wake. When the human broke their kiss in order to start trailing a line of bites down Trep's throat, the Impostor felt a groan rattle its way from his body. 

"C'mon Impostor," Addison paused long enough to murmur, the words slick on Trep's collarbone, "don't hold back from me now - show me what you've got." As if Addison had flipped some sort of switch, Trep's body responded immediately. A number of tentacles slipped from him and found places for themselves around Addison's body - one draped casually around his neck, a quartet of others slid their way in rivulets down his arms and legs, and yet another wrapped around his waist and curled loosely around the length of the human’s cock.

The soft grunt that punched its way from Addison sent a gunshot of warmth through Trep’s body, and soon enough his own stigma had slipped free from his usually empty groin. As if he'd been waiting, Addison had a hand ready to catch the heavy appendage, and at his heavy-fisted cradle, Trep had to all at once brace himself against the wall as his knees threatened to give out. Addison drew his hand slowly up along the length, fingers digging slightly into the muscular flesh - and the keening whine Trep released might have been embarrassingly loud, except Addison was there again, sealing Trep’s mouth with his own and swallowing the noise away. 

It took all the concentration Trep could muster to give Addison’s cock attention in return - but he managed to tighten his tentacle’s hold on the man’s length and give it long, languid pulls in a pattern complementary to Addison’s own kneading. It wasn’t long before they were panting into each other’s mouths, kisses growing lazy and sloppy as they were each washed into their own pleasure-filled hazes. The sudden absence of Addison’s hand was so startling it pulled Trep dizzyingly back to the present - but when he felt the head of the human’s cock at his stigmatic opening, he understood. Trep unraveled his tentacle from Addison’s length and used it, and its fellows, to wrap Addison even closer still. With a soft groan of effort, Addison pressed in - or, maybe, Trep engulfed Addison. In truth, the Impostor couldn’t tell where they started or ended, but the end result was the same. As Addison bottomed out, and Trep’s stigma tightened around him like a sleeve, they both paused for a few long seconds, the only sound between them their panting breaths. 

Then, Trep brought his claws up to frame Addison’s face - unsure when they’d even shifted - and brought their mouths tight together once more as they began to thrust against each other in long, heavy motions. Trep’s tongue slipped from his maw and slid its way through Addison’s mouth, tasting as it stretched further and further - until, eventually, it was half buried in Addison’s throat. In his right mind, Trep might have spared a concern for the man’s breathing - but the groans vibrating through Addison’s body told Trep that the human wasn’t worried about it anyway. With slight, jerking motions, Trep all but tongue-fucked Addison’s throat - and he felt the human grip him around the sides so tightly that Trep was sure Addison had drawn blood. The very thought had Trep snarling as his thrusting became near feverish - a pace Addison was quick to match. 

They fell into a haze of groans, snarling, and obscene noises that broke only when Addison all at once stiffened with a full-bodied moan that had Trep reeling. Addison bit down hard on Trep’s tongue - against the muscular organ, though, there was no pain. Instead, the rush it sent through Trep threw him off his own cliff and his stigma clenched and undulated tight around Addison’s cock - desperate to save every drop of the human’s maddingly warm spend. 

They clutched each other tightly for a few long, long heartbeats. As their bodies finally began to slowly unwind from their orgasmic coils, Trep slipped his tongue carefully from Addison’s throat. It left the man panting, skin shining from sweat and saliva, as he stared up at Trep with eyes that were slow to clear. 

Given how hard his own chest was heaving, Trep was sure he wasn’t much cleaner of a sight. 

Trep loosened his tentacles until they were more cradling Addison than gripping, wrapped his arms around the human’s waist as well, and then decided he’d done more than enough standing for the moment. He let his back slide down against the wall and pulled Addison along with him until they were sitting on the ground in a puddle of clumsy limbs. As he felt Addison slip from his stigma, Trep tucked the appendage back into his body to clear more space. He bundled Addison as tightly into his lap as he could - a challenge, given that even though Addison was shorter than him he was still by no means a  _ small  _ man - and, without a word, began to softly lick at the sweat and saliva that had left trails along Addison’s face. 

“Are you  _ grooming  _ me?” Addison asked after a few long seconds of attention. At the question, Trep paused and blinked tiredly at the human.

“Does that bother you?” He asked. 

“No,” Addison responded - and although there was a soft grumble that could have been a complaint in his voice, his quick answer told Trep everything he needed to know. 

“Then shut up and let me,” Trep said, and any bite in the command was extinguished by the purr he couldn’t quite contain. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've created a 18+ Tumblr Sideblog which can be found: [Here](https://writingweasel.tumblr.com/)
> 
> My main, general use Tumblr can be found: [Here](https://pyroweasel.tumblr.com/)
> 
> I mostly reblog memes, talk about random shit, and post fic updates. Updates for this story and other explicit stories in the future will be on the 18+ sideblog. Come and chat if you'd like!


	10. Crevices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sabotage - and the inevitable outcome. Trep realizes that his human's ability to keep it together is crumbling.

Addison had gone a long way to easing the ache their sudden distance had instilled in Trep - but the Impostor quickly found that Addison was not nearly so soothed. Over the course of the next week and a half or so, despite the lack of bloodshed, Addison hardly slept. He often took up nightly patrol himself - and likely would have tried to claim it every night if not for Trep’s warning that it’d make them  _ both  _ look suspicious to their fellows.

Still, Addison’s sleep was brief and uneasy even on those nights he took off. After an hour or two of restlessness, he always stopped trying - and the lack of sleep was starting to get to him. His growing inattentiveness and irritability were what had brought them to this very moment. They’d started on another patrol, Trep had even allowed for a couple of passes around the base, but then when they’d rounded back to medbay, he’d promptly all but tackled the human to a cot and was now pinning Addison there - despite the man’s heated glare. 

“Would you get off of me? We’re supposed to be on patrol -” 

“That didn’t stop you that night in the Specimen Bay.”

“That doesn’t mean I can make a habit of it -” 

“Addison.” At Trep’s near snappish command, the human huffed softly but quieted. Feeling a bit of the fight leave Addison, Trep pushed himself slightly away - although he was prepared to grab the human again if it became necessary. “You are running yourself ragged. You need to rest.” 

“I’m fine - I’m not a child, and I don’t need you to regulate my  _ bedtime.”  _

“What you are is cranky,” Trep retorted.

“That’s rich, coming from you. Talking to me about cranky -”

“Your crew needs you at your sharpest,  _ Captain,” _ Trep interrupted, “which you most assuredly are  _ not _ at right now. How are you going to help them if you’re exhausted?” For a moment, Addison didn’t respond, and when he finally did it was with a long exhale and the sinking of his body into the cot.

“I don’t stay awake for my health,” Addison protested, although there was no real heat in his voice, “I’d sleep plenty more if it was as easy as lying down and just  _ sleeping.”  _

“I’m aware,” Trep told him, “but eventually your body isn’t going to have a choice. At least try - here, where it’s just us and the hum of the bay.” He paused, then offered, “if I hear anything amiss, I’ll wake you. I can hear as far as the doorway to the quarters - I’ll know if anyone leaves them.” 

“...If I ask you to promise not to let me sleep for more than two hours at most, will you listen?” 

“Clever phrasing, Captain,” Trep purred softly, “Will you believe me if I do?” 

“Probably not,” Addison admitted, but there was a slight pull at the corner of his mouth. “Do I really have much of a choice, here?” 

“Of course you have a choice,” Trep answered, “either you agree - or, I wrap you in as many tentacles as I can fit and hold you here until you pass out. That will make it a good deal harder for me to keep an ear out for trouble, though.” 

“You’re an ass.” 

“Yet you keep me around. What’s it going to be?” 

“Fine,” Addison acquiesced after another second of hesitation, “Fine. I’ll try - that’s all I can promise, though.” 

“Good enough for me,” Trep said. He sat up, then, and scooted slightly away to give the human more space. He reached down for the light, sheer blanket used for the medbay cots - and as he pulled it up, Addison sat up and grabbed his hand with a glare. 

“You are not tucking me in right now - are you kidding me?” 

“I thought you’d appreciate a blanket -” 

“I’ve got it managed,” Addison groused as he pulled the blanket from Trep’s hands and brought it up to his chin as he laid back down. He watched Trep for a minute, then scowled slightly and flipped to face the other wall. “At least busy yourself - I’m definitely not going to be able to sleep if you’re watching me.” 

“If you’d like. Although,” Trep slipped a glove off and reached out with his hand. He shifted it until the nails on his fingers had become claws, then began to lightly scratch and graze at the skin of Addison’s head and neck. Trep was sure the soft sigh Addison let out was involuntary - but couldn’t help but grin at it, regardless. 

“Still want me to busy myself?” 

“Hush.”

“Get some sleep, Captain,” Trep chuckled as he continued his ministrations. It wasn’t quick, nor was it smooth, but eventually Trep was rewarded with the soft sounds of Addison finally falling asleep. 

* * *

Trep fully expected Addison’s rest to be interrupted - although he assumed it’d be by the captain’s inability to stay asleep. Or, possibly, by some idiot leaving the crew quarters and forcing Trep to make good on his promise. He did  _ not  _ expect the earth to give a sudden and violent shudder - one that would have knocked him from his perch on the cot if not for the leg he had braced against the floor. When Addison stirred at the sensation, Trep scratched at the man’s head - hoping to soothe him right back to sleep. Any hope of that was dashed when a second quake rumbled through the ground. 

“Huh?” Addison murmured as he blinked awake.

“I’m not sure,” Trep said. He slipped to his feet entirely, stood, and waited. For a few heartbeats, things were calm again - and then he found himself grabbing onto the wall as the earth trembled once more. 

“Earthquake?” Addison asked in bemusement as he sat up and rubbed hard at his face. Trep frowned at that as his mind ran in quick circles trying to parse together what was happening. According to the briefings they’d gone through, earthquakes were not generally a concern - specifically, Trep realized with a sudden jolt, because of the Seismic Stabilizers the colony employed.

He, Addison, and the colony itself seemed to understand the danger all at once. As an alarm suddenly blared overhead, they looked at each other with equal amounts of concern. 

“The stabilizers,” Addison said - and then he was up and running, with Trep quick on his heels. It was a short run from the Medbay to the first Stabilizer - and when they got there, they found Yellow and Purple just arriving as well. No doubt the others would be showing up soon enough - but they were the first two there, so it was them that Addison roped into helping. He looked to Yellow immediately, and Trep couldn’t help but be impressed at how quickly the human’s mind was already working - as if he hadn’t been deep asleep only a moment or two ago.

“Yellow, you’ve got more training on these systems than anyone else. Think you can figure out what’s gone wrong?” Addison asked.

“Yes, I - I think so, Captain,” Yellow answered.

“Good. You’ve shown some of it to Purple?”

"Yes," Yellow agreed. 

"Not that much - I only know the basics, Captain," Purple argued almost at the same time. 

"That’s more than either of us know," Addison said - he glanced briefly towards Trep, who nodded his agreement of the statement, "we'll work it out - Purple, you're with me. Cyan, you stay here with Yellow."

Trep’s first instinct was to protest - but he bit it back. It wasn’t the time to argue. Instead, he looked to Purple, gave her the hardest look he could, and wasn’t especially surprised when she returned it with force. Then, after a long few heartbeats, she nodded sharply. With a breath, Trep returned the nod and, with one last look at Addison, turned towards the right-hand Seismic Stabilizer.

“Let’s go, Yellow,” he said as he moved, and he heard the human hurry after him as the other two made their way for the left-hand stabilizer. Trep paused to let Yellow go up the ramp first and watched as she crouched in front of the control panel and pried it open with ease. Then, Trep turned to face away and glared down the ramp. Trep knew little about the seismic system - but he could make sure that their best hope of fixing it wasn’t killed by any lime-colored surprises. He half listened as Yellow worked behind him, her breaths often catching as she struggled to hold herself together. Trep wasn't sure if it was the situation, his presence, or her separation from Purple - but when he glanced over his shoulder and met her eyes from where she was doing the same, she froze. 

They stared at each other for a long heartbeat, and then Trep shook his head slightly. 

"You're safe with me," He told her, "just fix that damn thing before the planet breaks apart and throws us all into the lava." He looked away again, not waiting for her response. Within a half a second, there was the continued sound of her working. As the planet gave another defiant buck, Trep grimaced and grabbed onto the railing to steady himself.

This quake was punctuated by a sudden, blood-curdling scream in the distance.

For a second, every beating part in Trep's body stopped in unison at the sound - but he quickly recognized that it hadn’t been Addison. Another crewmate, then - giving evidence to the theory that Lime had somehow caused this in order to net himself another kill. Whether Lime assumed the crew would fix the problem, or had been fine with the possibility of them all being killed, Trep had no idea - nor did he care. He still felt a pulse of agitation at the other Impostor’s method. 

He heard Yellow draw a shocked, ragged breath, and looked back at her again. To her credit, her hands were still tangled in the mess that was the stabilizer's system - even if her entire body was trembling. 

"Should you go see?" She asked, voice warbling. "Maybe you can help."

"It’s undoubtedly too late," Trep told her, "and I'm not leaving you alone. Can't risk you being killed before you can fix this - and Purple would have my head."

Yellow's answer was an indecipherable, pained noise from the back of her throat. They fell into silence again, and then, after another moment or two of work, there was a roar as the stabilizer behind them shuddered back to life. Yellow sat back onto her haunches, then promptly brought her hands - covered in some sort of oil, Trep noticed with a grimace - up to cover her face. 

A long moment later, the other stabilizer gave a similar uproar, the siren stopped, and Trep let out a relieved breath of his own. He half thought he could  _ feel  _ the planet settle down beneath their feet. 

"Yellow. Let's go," he urged the human, and at his suggestion Yellow slid her hands away from her face and climbed carefully to her feet. She followed him as they picked their way back down the ramp and towards the center of the colony. When they saw Purple waiting there, the other Impostor immediately hurried over to Yellow and began to check her over. 

Addison, however, was noticeably absent. As he wondered with dread if he’d been wrong to dismiss that scream so quickly, Trep felt a familiar burn rise in his chest.

"Where the hell is the Captain?" Trep asked, unable to stop the snarl in his question as he whipped about to face Purple. 

"He went after the scream," Purple answered immediately, her own tone grim.

"Where?" 

"Oxygen, I think - it was difficult to tell for sure -" 

"I'm going to kill him," Trep hissed under his breath as he turned and took off for Oxygen without waiting for the rest of Purple's sentence. Unhelpfully, his brain filled in the sentence he didn't dare say out loud. 

_ If he's not dead already.  _

* * *

As Trep rounded the corner into the tree’s room, he froze. All at once, a number of urges rose hot inside of him - and his uncertainty as to which to yield to kept him pinned in place.

Addison was alive and well - and Trep badly wanted to grab the man and shake some fucking  _ sense  _ into him. Addison, however, was busy trying to push himself in between Tan and Green, who were grappling each other with feral-sounding snarls that would have made any Impostor proud. Given how much mass Tan had over Green, the latter was putting up an impressive fight - thrashing and punching and grabbing almost like a thing possessed. 

As Addison managed to finally force the two humans apart, Tan let a fist fly - when it struck Addison in the face hard enough to send the man stumbling towards Green, Trep saw red. He lunged towards the group with outstretched hands - fully intent on grabbing Tan around the neck and snapping the man’s spine. He would have done it, too, without hesitation - but then Addison was  _ there,  _ standing between Trep and Tan and thrusting a hand into Trep's chest so forcefully it almost hurt. 

"Enough!" Addison commanded in a voice so loud it rang through Trep's ears. A deafening, strained silence fell over the room as each of them panted where they stood. Tan was completely ignorant of how close to death he'd come - he was still glaring at Green. 

"Stand. Down. All of you." Addison continued, although it was Trep he was watching. Trep returned the look with a glare, but all that did was bring a flare of warning to the man’s eyes.

"Ad-" 

"Not now," Addison cut him off sharply. "I need to deal with  _ this, _ right now." 

Trep narrowed his eyes, but after a few seconds reluctantly straightened and relaxed his shoulders. After another second of watch, Addison's hand slipped from Trep's chest and the human turned back to his fellows. 

"Apologies, Captain," Tan said, though he didn't sound sorry at all, and his hard gaze was still pinned to Green. "Wasn't you I was aiming for. Though I really don't understand why you were trying to protect this  _ murderer -"  _

"I didn't kill him!" Green practically screamed at that, his voice cracking so hard it sounded painful. Bemused, Trep did a quick scan of the room - and it was only then that he noticed the blue-clad body lying half-devoured in its own gore near the hole in the ground. 

"I caught you red-handed!" Tan argued, "crouched over him like the monster you are!" 

"I was trying to  _ save him,  _ you fucking -" Green screeched, cutting himself off as he moved as if to lunge at Tan once again. 

"Green!" Addison barked, and it was enough to stop the other human in his tracks. "Tan," Addison continued, his voice more contained but only just. "Take every one but Green and Cyan, and go back to the quarters. If anyone is missing, or leaves that room at all before sunrise, I want to know about it. Understood?" 

Trep turned slightly, only noticing then that the rest of the crew was bunched around the doorway, staring in at the scene with wide eyes. Even Purple and Yellow were there - albeit tucked into the back, Yellow's face turned away from the room. Even Lime - clean as could be - watched with wide, innocent eyes tainted by smugness Trep only saw because he knew enough to look. 

"You aren't seriously going to buy his story, Captain -" 

"If you had half a brain, you would too," Addison cut Tan off. "Do you understand my orders, or not?" 

Tan didn't respond, at first, and for a long second Trep thought the other human might actually push his luck and argue with Addison further. Eventually, though, Tan all but snapped around and began to trudge from the room - forcing the crew to part as he passed them without apology. 

"Let's go!" Tan commanded, and the others soon followed after him, leaving Addison and Trep alone with Green. 

"Green," Addison began, and as he walked closer to the crewmate in question, his voice grew softer. "What happened? Did you see anything at all?" 

Green's response, at first, was a rapid shake of his head. He tried to speak once, twice - the words caught in his throat each time. He brought his fist to his mouth and bit into his knuckles -  _ hard _ \- before he finally managed it. 

"We just wanted some time, Captain. To ourselves. I don't - I don't know what - The ground started shaking and the alarms went off and I was just trying to get the door back open so we could go help and then I heard Blue shout and then - I came back and he was - stuck. He was stuck. In the hole. So I tried to pull him out, I pulled and...and eventually he came free, or, at least, p-part of him." Green paused and pulled in a violent, trembling breath. "I was right here. I don’t understand, I don't - Captain, I was right  _ here!” _ Green's explanation ended on a wail, and all at once he fell to his knees and curled in on himself. He sobbed, then, and the sound was a violent barrage of mournful keens.

Addison crossed over to the other quickly and crouched down next to him. He placed a hand on Green's back and began to rub in small, soothing circles. 

"I know, Green. I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Addison murmured quietly as Green continued to flood the room with his grief. For a brief second, Addison looked towards Trep - but when their eyes met, Trep found himself looking away. Looked, instead, at the body lying close to them. He wasn't entirely sure what he expected to feel - indifference, maybe, or possibly even just a snippet of that empathy Addison had talked about. Instead, the sight of Blue's body only seemed to fan Trep's anger anew. It reminded him how easily it could have been Addison - how recklessly the human had charged to this very place, passing at least one hole Lime could have been waiting in. 

Feeling the anger burn like lead deep in his chest, Trep let a hand curl and kept his gaze far away from the two humans in the room. 

* * *

It was difficult to hold his temper as Addison dealt with Green. Even more difficult, still, to walk away as if nothing were wrong once the crewmate was safe and sound within the crew’s quarters with the rest. Trep followed Addison as he walked away, cared little where they were going - had no idea if Addison even knew. As they passed Storage, though, Trep saw his chance. He grabbed Addison's arm, pulled the human into Storage with him, and shut the door behind them. 

When he turned to Addison, that same anger having burnt a path to his tongue, he found a clear and strained challenge waiting in the human's face. It was the final bubble that boiled Trep over. 

"What the hell were you thinking?" Trep growled. He pushed Addison to the wall and trapped him there, his hands on either side of the human’s head. He brought their faces close together - near close enough to touch. "Running off -  _ alone  _ \- towards the obvious sound of someone being killed? Did you lose your  _ fucking mind?"  _

"Back off, Trep," Addison snarled in retort. He shoved at the Impostor - who didn't let the touch so much as sway him. When Addison tried to duck around him, Trep slammed a tentacle into the wall next to the human to block his way. 

"No. I want to know. I want to hear exactly what you were thinking - do you have any idea how close you came to being just like Blue? Do you realize how lucky you are that the Impostor wasn't waiting in your path, just watching for someone to do exactly what you did? Fuck's sake, Addison!"

"I couldn't just let another of my crew die!" Addison hurled back.

"By the time you heard the scream, he was already dead!" Trep responded in kind. With another snarl, he shoved himself away from Addison and the wall and walked a few steps away before throwing his arms up in frustration. "You should have known that. You've dealt with our kind before - you know we work quickly!" 

“I do know.” Addison’s answer didn’t come right away - and when he finally spoke, the bite was all at once gone from his voice. In its place was a low, defeated tone that brought Trep to a standstill. "I don't - I  _ wasn't _ thinking. I wasn't thinking at all. I heard Green scream and I just  _ moved _ because I couldn't face the idea of losing…another." It was the sudden crack in the final word that had Trep turning.

The sight of Addison covering his face with a hand - shoulders shaking more violently with every passing second - sucker-punched every ounce of anger out of the Impostor and left him momentarily breathless. Trep had seen humans cry before, of course. It was a common reaction to imminent death, after all. He'd never thought much of it, really - or, if he had, he'd simply taken the action as another sign of human weakness. He'd never once seen  _ Addison  _ cry, though - and it was something entirely different. 

Trep felt no judgement, or anger, or disdain - instead, it made him feel regret. For being angry. For keeping the truth from Addison. For letting Lime run amok. There was regret over Blue, even, although not because  _ Trep  _ cared about the others - but because  _ Addison  _ did, and that was reason enough. Trep also badly wanted it to stop. Usually, he enjoyed seeing the Captain lose composure - but not like this. This, he’d much rather never see again. This felt like it’d dug deep into Trep's chest and was now strangling him from the inside out. 

“Addison,” Trep said on an exhale. He took a step closer to the human, but stopped when Addison lifted the palm of his other hand in warning. With a shuddering breath, Addison trailed his fingers over his eyes and held them there, pressing slightly. 

“It’s fine, I’m fine,” Addison said, in a voice that was decidedly  _ not  _ fine. “I just need a second. Just give me a...second.” He took another breath - and despite his words, this one quaked even worse. He slid down the wall slowly, until he was sitting on the ground - and still he kept his fingers against his eyes, still he tried to take breaths that didn’t seem to be getting any easier. Trep wasn’t sure what to do - so for a moment he stood there awkwardly, alternating between looking at Addison and looking away. Eventually, he crossed the room and carefully sat next to the human - slid close enough for their shoulders to touch. 

“I’m sorry, for being so aggressive,” Trep said, after a few seconds had passed. “I was...afraid that something had happened to you. For a moment, I was sure something had. It was...quite possibly the worst moment of my life.” 

Addison didn’t respond - and Trep wasn’t sure he  _ could,  _ given the minute quivers that were still jolting through the human. Addison did, however, reach out with his free hand - stretched until he could grab Trep’s hand in his own. At the invitation, Trep turned his hand and intertwined their fingers together. He squeezed Addison’s hand - and Addison returned the gesture. They didn’t loosen their grips, instead keeping them tight as silence grew and the moments ticked by. 

As they did, Trep ran the night through his head. The days, really - all of them, leading all the way back to the moment he’d caught the first hints of cracks within Addison’s armor. Quite literally - they’d been evident in the shattered glass in his quarters and the bleeding crevices in his knuckles. Trep couldn’t say he’d been ignorant to the way those cracks had been slowly widening all this time - but it was a jolt to realize with sudden clarity just how responsible  _ he  _ was for it. He’d created them, really, and even now it was through his own inaction that they’d been allowed to expand so far. 

It wasn’t something he could change. He couldn’t bring Blue back. He couldn’t bring back any of the crew he’d personally dispatched. For Addison’s sake, Trep couldn’t help but wish he could - but there was no point in dwelling on that. It was better, by far, to look ahead to what he  _ could  _ change. Addison was hovering over some kind of brink, but Trep could still pull him back from it. To do that, the rest of the crew needed to remain alive. 

Lime needed to be dealt with. 

Even as Trep sat there, a silent ground for the human who was desperately trying to hold himself together, he began to plan. He had the means to stop the other Impostor.

For Addison’s sake, Trep would no longer hesitate to do so. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone's had a wonderful end to the year and a restful holiday (if you celebrate at all). Thanks as always for all of your support - it really does mean a lot to me.


	11. Cataclysm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trep makes plans - but the universe has others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW for minor-ish character death, as well as blood, gore, injury, and violence.

A better person - regardless of species - might have attempted a peaceful approach with Lime. The younger Impostor was alone, after all - even the nearby members of his own species were no help to him. Sure, he clearly had a bloodthirsty streak - but, maybe, he could have been talked down. Bargained with, even. Or, if absolutely nothing else, blackmailed or threatened into tolerable behavior. A better person probably would have at least _tried._

Unfortunately for Lime, Trep was not that person. 

Trep considered that path, of course - but quickly dismissed it. If anyone bothered to ask, Trep would have a number of excuses ready for them - but when it came down to the heart of the matter, Trep simply didn’t _want_ to deal with Lime peacefully. Because the moment Trep had begun planning for Lime's demise, he'd felt a thrill he'd long been missing - the familiar spark of bloodlust and the mental stimulation of the hunt. Things he willingly forewent in exchange for Addison - but here, finally, was the chance to indulge. There could be no complaint from the human in the end, either, considering Trep would be doing them all a favor. 

Addison would likely try to kill Lime himself anyway, if he knew. 

It would have been easy enough to slip away from Addison and hunt down Lime during daily tasks, easier still with some sabotage - but that carried no small amount of risk. If Lime stayed close to his assigned group, it might be difficult to isolate him - and while the humans would be glad either way to be rid of an Impostor, they might question why Trep had hunted him down in the first place. If things went sideways, Trep might be forced to show more of himself than he wanted to the others. Whether Trep killed Lime or not, if the humans knew _he_ was also an Impostor, it was unlikely they would just accept that. There were few too left to be a problem - although Purple complicated things - but having to fight for his life against them would ruin everything. 

So, Trep made a better plan. A simple, relatively smooth plan that needed little else but for Addison to sleep long enough for Trep to lure Lime away. Lime would have no reason to distrust Trep’s intentions, and once they were alone dispatching the other would be easy. It was a plan that should have been simple to execute - so it only made sense that the universe would see fit to ruin it entirely. 

It was only a couple of days after Blue’s death, and Trep had just finished securing another replacement on the office water cooler when the lights went out. As usual, he didn't really notice at first - not until he heard Addison swear and felt the human grab on to his arm. As Addison searched his belt for his own flashlight, Trep slipped his free, clicked it on, and handed it over. 

"Again?" Addison asked, apprehension in his murmur as he took the offered tool. 

"It seems our Impostor is not especially creative," Trep said with a hum of agreement, "in which case I suppose we should be grateful they didn't go after the stabilizers again."

"I'll be considerably more grateful if the crew makes it through _this_ blackout," Addison answered, "Come on. I want to get these lights back on as soon as possible."

By way of agreement, Trep pressed his hand against briefly between Addison's shoulder blades to urge the human in front of him. Trep followed a slight distance behind Addison as they moved to head out of the Admin area - watching intently for any sign of ambush. 

Which is how Trep very nearly smacked into the heavy emergency doors as they slammed shut right in front of him. Momentarily off-balance in his confusion, Trep laid a hand on the cool metal - and quickly realized that he'd been effectively cut off from Addison, who had cleared the threshold and was now on the other side. 

Standing in the open outdoors, not at all far from at least two holes something could easily slither out of. 

"Fuck," Trep swore as he slammed a fist into the door - which didn't so much as rattle under the attack. "Captain?" He called loudly, every sense strained for even the smallest sound of danger from the other side. 

"I'm here, I'm fine," Addison called back almost immediately, and that was some small relief - although it was fleeting. Wordlessly, Trep crouched down, ripped the electrical panel from the wall, and reached in to start flipping the circuits that would allow the door to reopen. There was only one left when Trep heard Addison say _something,_ which was immediately followed by a sudden _thunk_ against the door. For a second, Trep was sure his hearts had stopped so abruptly they'd thrown him out of his own consciousness. With something clutching in his gut, Trep flipped the last circuit. Slowly, almost painfully so, the emergency door slid open.

Just in time for Trep to watch Addison crumple to the ground. 

A barbed tendril slipped free of the wound it'd created in the human’s chest and trailed almost lazily back to its source - Lime, standing just a few feet away. For a small smattering of heartbeats, all Trep could do was stare at the other Impostor. Then, Lime looked at him, gave him a cocky grin, and flashed a quick thumbs up. 

With a snarl that cared little for who else might hear it, Trep launched himself over Addison and straight at Lime. Caught by surprise, all Lime could do was attempt to brace - and they both fell hard to the ground as Trep collided with his fellow. Vaguely, Trep heard Lime swear - confusion and aggression building quickly in his voice. Trep paid it little attention - whatever goals or plans he’d made before this moment meant nothing in the heat of it. It was almost as if a haze had collapsed over his senses, leaving only one thought in their place.

This _thing_ had hurt _his_ mate - and Trep could not and _would not_ abide that. 

Trep gave Lime no quarter - no moment to rest or parry the attack. His body unwound itself, and he plunged teeth and claws as deep into the flesh of his foe as he could manage, even as that flesh twitched and changed. Trep's attacks had no singular target - if he ripped Lime into pieces, the other would eventually die. No finesse was necessary. 

Lime was not content to go down without a fight, though. He was smaller, and weaker, and had been caught by surprise - but all the same he lashed out with his own appendages in an attempt at a fight. Trep felt one of them stab and then burrow its way deep into his bicep - but barely registered the burning pain it left in its wake. It only spurred him on, pissed him off further - he brought his abdominal maw to bear and used the massive teeth there to burrow a deep cavity into the bulk of Lime’s flesh. He felt skin and organs and blood snap and pool into his mouth - and when he felt his tongue latch onto something that _pulsed,_ Trep knew the battle was won. He squeezed his tongue until the heart burst, and he felt Lime give a shattered _huff_ at the action. Trep pinned the other tight to the ground as his tongue searched further, and he dug still deeper, finding another heart and then another and then another - and Lime was twitching beneath his grip, but now the movements were only the desperate thrashing of prey caught in its death throes. 

“Trep.” 

Addison’s voice was quiet and strained, but it shot through Trep’s daze like a bullet. He lifted his head and looked over to the human - and when he saw Addison attempting to brace himself against the doorway and stand, Trep felt a thrill of panic race through him. Addison had a hand to his chest, but it was doing little to stem the blood that had already slicked most of his front. When the human’s grip on the doorway slipped and he slid back to the ground with a grunt, Trep forgot about Lime entirely and hurried to Addison’s side. 

“Be still,” Trep urged as he reached a bracing hand around Addison's back and laid one of his own hands - claws, really - overtop Addison’s. Even as he pressed down, trying to help stem the bleeding, Addison caught his hand with his own free one and squeezed. 

“Pull yourself...together,” Addison said, the command evident even through his labored breathing. “The others can’t...see this.” 

Trep stared at Addison for a long second, unable to comprehend why Addison would be worried over _that_ in a moment like this. Then, he caught sight of his own claw again - and realized that Addison was right. Carefully, Trep shifted Addison until he was propped against the doorway, then laid Addison’s free hand atop the one at his chest and pressed down pointedly. Once he was satisfied with the pressure Addison was putting on the wound, Trep pulled his hands away, took a breath, and began trying to ‘pull himself together.’ 

Considering that his own wound was minimal, Trep was surprised at how difficult the process was. His thoughts were too flighty to focus - he kept looking at Addison. Kept worrying over Addison. It didn’t help when Addison visibly slouched further against the doorway, the energy clearly seeping out of him as surely as his own blood. 

Trep couldn’t help Addison if he had to fight the other humans off, though, and who knew when they might show up? With a soft growl aimed mostly at himself, Trep pressed his eyes tightly closed and focused inward. Finally, _finally,_ he felt his body responding - slowly but surely his form shifted and condensed until, by the time he reopened his eyes, he was human once more. 

“‘s better,” Addison said, and the slight slur in his murmured voice spurred Trep into further action. He half crouched and reached over to slip his hands beneath Addison to support the human as Trep lifted him up into his arms. Addison struggled slightly, the movements almost lethargic - and Trep’s answer was to hold the human a little tighter to his chest. 

“Hush, Addison. This is the fastest way - I’ve got you,” Trep quietly soothed as he began to move for Medbay - neatly stepping around a small collection of Lime’s disseminated parts. He spared only a brief glance for the corpse - there would be questions, but it’d be near impossible to determine Lime’s cause of death when he was nothing but a partially amorphous puddle of limbs and organs. It wasn’t worth Trep’s time to worry about - he had to see to Addison.

He would just have to deal with the rest of the consequences if they came.

* * *

The rest of the crew made their way to Medbay eventually, long after the lights had returned, and although Trep heard them arrive he paid them no mind. He was busy trying to figure out how to prepare a suture - and with every second the device continued to baffle him, he only grew more agitated. He had succeeded in stemming the worst of Addison’s bleeding with gauze and padding - but the wound would continue to leak if it wasn’t sealed somehow. 

If only he understood how to effectively use the sutures.

“Here, let me,” Trep turned his head quickly at the voice, and when he found White reaching out to grab his hands, he stiffened and barely managed to bite back the growl that bubbled in his throat. Even without it, White must have sensed the change - they paused, hands lingering just an inch or two over Trep’s. 

“I was a nurse,” White explained, “and I’ve got a good amount of field experience - I’m a good hand at sutures. I’ll take care of the Captain, Cyan - you can trust me.” 

Trep didn’t want to - he didn’t want anyone touching Addison but him. But a soft groan - almost a whine, really - from Addison had Trep begrudgingly handing over the suture kit to White. He stepped back to let White take his spot - and despite his apprehension, he had to admit that White’s hands were steady and sure as they began to work. When Addison shifted again - conscious, but hardly alert - Trep moved to his head and reached out to lay a hand on his forehead.

“What the hell happened out there, Cyan?” Tan’s question had Trep looking over his shoulder. The entirety of the crew was there, and while a couple had their gazes trained on White and Addison, most of them were watching Trep. 

“Lime separated the Captain and me when the lights went down,” Trep explained, forcing his voice calm despite his own agitation. _This_ was the time to start asking questions? “He was already on Red by the time I got the door open.” Letting a fist curl, Trep looked away from the others and back towards Addison. “Lime was distracted. I was able to get a lucky stab in his head. He turned on me but wasn’t able to do much before he went down.” 

“That was a hell of a ‘lucky stab,’” Tan said.

“You think?” Trep retorted as he swung around entirely to pin a glare on the human. “Thank you, Tan, for the reminder of just how close the Captain and I came to our deaths. Did you have something _important_ to say, or are you just here to provide inane commentary?” 

“I’m just saying -”  
  
“Well shut the fuck up, because no one wants to hear it!” Green interrupted suddenly, and most eyes went to him at the outburst. “We literally just saw Lime’s body - he was obviously the Impostor, and he’s obviously dead. So stop pointing your goddamn fingers and shut up for once in your life.” 

“Stay out of this, you have no right -”

“Captain, wait, hold still -” White’s plea was considerably quieter than Green and Tan’s arguing - but Trep heard it clear as day. He glanced briefly towards the cot - to where Addison was clearly agitated and trying to sit up - and then whipped his head around to look at the crew again.

“GET. OUT!” Trep half roared, his voice echoing almost painfully off the walls and stopping the argument dead. 

“You -” Tan began, but he stopped when Trep took an aggressive step in his direction and pointed a finger at him. 

“If Captain Red dies because of you and your incessant need to argue, I will throw you into the lava myself,” Trep said, dropping his voice low and letting just the hint of a hiss suffuse it. “Leave. Take the others with you. And if you _must_ argue, do it well out of hearing of the Captain. Do not test me, Tan - I do not _bluff.”_

Tan stared back for a long, tense second - and Trep wasn’t sure just what exactly he would do to the human, but with every heartbeat he was getting closer and closer to doing it, consequences be damned. 

“If the Captain dies, Cyan, we will be having a very long _talk,”_ Tan finally said, and before Trep could respond, the human turned and began to walk away. The others let him pass - waited a few seconds for him to leave the area - and then began to follow. When Purple and Yellow lingered, and Purple’s gaze found Trep’s, Trep turned abruptly away and returned to his spot at Addison’s head. A few seconds later, they were gone too.

Trep reached out and laid his hand on Addison’s forehead and pressed, satisfied when the human seemed to relax back into the bed. He was awake - but his eyes were unfocused, occasionally finding Trep’s but then skirting away as if he couldn’t make them stay there. 

“It’s alright, Captain. Just calm down. Everyone’s fine.” Trep murmured. 

“It’s working,” White said quietly, and at their voice Trep looked over. They were focused on the work in front of them, gloved hands slick with blood. “The sutures, I mean. I think something ripped when he tried to sit up, though - I can fix it,” they were quick to add, “but do what you can to keep him still.” 

“I’ll handle the Captain. Just fix him, White.” 

“I’m going to do my damnedest.”

* * *

Eventually, the time came when White had done all they could. They seemed cautiously optimistic - and the lack of active bleeding from Addison’s wound had Trep in agreement. White spoke briefly of a blood transfusion - but decided in the end that they would hold that as a last-ditch effort if Addison’s condition worsened. The Captain had stayed awake throughout White’s work, though, and only fell into an uneasy rest once White was finished poking at his wound. 

White had fretted over that, at first - which had worried Trep - but when the crewmate announced that Addison _was_ sleeping and hadn’t fallen into a coma, they decided that the best thing they could do for Addison was to just let him rest and recover. They’d offered to stay, had even brought attention to Trep’s own wound - which he’d forgotten entirely about in the face of Addison’s much more serious injury. Trep had sent White away, though, with a reassurance that he could clean his own wound and that _obviously_ he’d fetch them if Addison’s condition changed at all. 

Trep was begrudgingly grateful for White’s help - but he wasn’t confident in his ability to hold it together in front of them for longer than necessary.

Once White left, Trep grabbed a chair and pulled it close to Addison’s cot. He slunk down into the seat, reached out to lay a hand over Addison’s, and laid his cheek down against the cot. Impostors didn’t sleep, except when young or badly injured, but in that moment Trep felt like he almost could. He felt heavy, almost limp, as the stress and agitation of the last hour or two bled from him. He let it out in a breath, and angled his head to watch the rise and fall of Addison’s chest. 

That’s where he sat, even as time ticked by and the night creeped in and then back out again. Trep couldn’t have said how long he laid there - he didn’t much care to keep track. He heard someone peek into the room at one point - but when they simply moved on, he assumed it’d only been White. It was as much change as the room went through for hours upon hours - until some long time later, when Trep felt sudden movement beneath his hand. 

Like a shot, he sat up - and grimaced when Addison started at the sudden movement. He blinked up at Trep - but the Impostor was glad to see Addison’s eyes quickly sharpen into a gaze that was much more familiar and alert. 

“Trep?” Addison asked, and Trep let out a short breath at the question. 

“Have you been running around with other Cyans I don’t know about, Addison?” 

“No,” Addison murmured, “Only room for one pain in the ass.” Further calmed by the quip, Trep squeezed the human’s hand briefly and then pulled his own away. 

“How are you feeling?”  
  
“Tired,” Addison answered, “but...I don’t feel like I’m watching things through a distant fishbowl any longer.” He paused, time enough for Trep to hum in soft agreement. “Lime - what happened?”

“He’s dead - you don’t have to worry about him any longer.” 

“You killed him.” 

“Yes. Although, not quickly enough,” Trep said, clasping his hands together in his lap and squeezing until it nearly hurt. “He still nearly...” He let the rest of the sentence stagnate on his tongue as something in his chest constricted tight all over again. Despite his protection, despite his plans - it’d all nearly come crashing down in a split second. One misstep - if only he’d been _closer_ to Addison, if only he’d gone first - and Addison had nearly paid the ultimate price. _They_ had nearly paid it - because if Addison had died, Trep had no idea what he would have done. Even the very thought of it - all at once, he couldn’t breathe. Why couldn’t he breathe? 

Hands on his own caught Trep’s attention, and when he looked up to find Addison struggling to sit up, Trep’s breath slammed back into his chest with a gasp. He stood abruptly from his chair as he slipped his hands free and reached for the human. 

“What are you doing - lay down before you hurt yourself -” Trep made to push Addison back into the bed - but the human grabbed his hands again and this time squeezed them tightly. Trep stilled and stared back at Addison, and for a long moment they simply looked into each other’s eyes. Trep wasn’t sure what he was feeling, and Addison’s eyes were near unreadable - but, somehow, the moment returned a small measure of calm to him all the same. 

“Lay with me,” Addison said after a minute, and he tugged slightly at Trep’s hands in pointed order.

“Addison -”

“I’ll rest better if you do,” Addison repeated with something approaching sternness in his voice. Trep hesitated for a few seconds more before he went lax and let Addison pull him closer. As Addison laid back down, Trep slipped onto the cot alongside him and carefully arranged his arms around the man - leaving one hand resting against the side of Addison’s neck, where Trep could feel the pulse of his heart.

Steady. Strong. _Beating._

Trep curled a little tighter still around Addison. A few minutes passed, and with every fresh beat, Trep felt himself relax further and further. The tightness in his chest eased, and his own breath came a little easier. What _might_ have been didn’t matter - Addison had survived, and so long as he was kept quiet as he healed, he would continue to do so. 

_“You_ are the only reason I’m alive,” Addison murmured as he brought a hand up to trail his fingers over the hand Trep had at his throat. “So stop with the guilt - it doesn’t suit you.”

After a few seconds, Trep let out a long breath and eased himself further against the warmth of Addison’s body. Trep pressed his lips to the side of Addison’s head and then lingered there - content, for the moment, to stay just like that. 

“That’s quite enough instructions for the evening, Captain. Go back to sleep.”

“If I do, are you going to slip off and brood somewhere?”

“No,” Trep said, and despite it all he felt a small shake of laughter escape him. “I’ll be here, Addison. I’m not going anywhere.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for such a long delay - this chapter took some finesse to really get it where it needed to be, which was difficult to mix in with some personal stuff. I hope you enjoyed, though!
> 
> Also - unless something changes, which I doubt, we've only got one chapter left. I'm hopeful it won't be quite as long between this chapter and that one. :) 
> 
> Thanks as always for your support.


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